Dear Vietnam Veteran,

I would like to start by simply saying welcome home! I can only imagine how you must have felt after sacrificing so much of your life to serve the United States of America and be welcomed in such a negative and disrespectful manner. After watching the Honor Flight movie, I was inspired to write this letter in order to hopefully contribute in some way to giving you the proper welcome home that you deserved years ago.

I have never had the opportunity to visit the War Memorials in Washington D.C., but after watching videos about the Honor Flight and the memorials in class, I have begun to develop a better sense of just how much of an impact this trip can have for Veterans such as yourself. The videos showed how emotional the experience is for Veterans and how seeing their service recognized through the memorials can impact them in many ways.

I would also like to thank you for the monumental sacrifices you made and courage you demonstrated. As an (almost) 18 year old, the thought of going an hour or two away for college scares me. I simply cannot imagine packing up and being shipped overseas to fight in a war that even my own family may have been against. The bravery you demonstrated by conquering this feat is insurmountable.

Veterans, no matter when or where they served, are truly heroes. The men and women who put their entire lives on hold, make sacrifice after sacrifice, and put themselves in danger for the good of our country, are true heroes. You are a hero for accepting a daunting challenge that others (including myself) would have been reluctant to take on. You are a hero for your bravery and courage and sacrifice and commitment. You are a hero.

Words cannot describe how thankful I am for you and your service to this great country. I hope today was a fulfilling and memorable experience for you and again, thank you. Welcome home!

Sincerely,
A High School Senior