Dear Veteran,

Both of my grandpas went on the Honor Flight, one in 2018 and the other in 2017. I wrote a letter to each of them for the Mail Call portion of the flight. One of my grandpas had been having a hard time because he was always in and out of the hospital, which caused him to not always have a great attitude. My family was nervous about him going on the Honor Flight with other people if he wasn’t going to be in a good mood. However, my grandpa loved it. It really turned his attitude around and the Mail Call especially helped. My grandpa loved reading the letters and it reminded him how much we love and appreciate him. I hope my letter is able to have a similar impact on you.

I’m Meleana and I am a senior in high school. I wanted to write this letter to show my gratefulness for you. Through this letter, I hope you receive the same assurance that my grandpa had. You are loved and appreciated by everyone in your life, and many others who don’t even know you. I think veterans should be appreciated more. You deserve all the love and gratitude. You sacrificed so much at such a young age and your welcome home may not have been the best. I am so thankful for everything you gave up in order to fight for our freedom. Welcome home and thank you for your service!

When people think about war, it’s hard to imagine being in that position and what you are going through. There are so many factors that people look past and think only about the sacrifices in fighting. You had to leave your family and friends, eat different types of food, train hard, adjust to the world when you got back, and many more things I couldn’t even imagine. These are things that I mean when I say, “Thank you for your sacrifice.” I hope the Honor Flight has helped you realize how much you are loved in the society. You fought for so much and have given us so much in return.

I went to the memorials in Washington D.C when I was younger. I wish I could visit again now that I am older and would understand them more. I didn’t appreciate the true meaning of all the memorials, especially The Grave of the Unknown Soldier. I think all the memorials are a great reminder of all the sacrifices that veterans have given in order to provide us with everything we need. I hope you had a great experience during the Honor Flight and remember how appreciated you are in our world.

Thank You, 

Meleana