Dear Veteran,

Welcome home. Thank you for your sacrifice and service. There aren’t many people like you, sir. There aren’t many people who would give their future for their country, but you did. And because you did, I, along with the rest of America, am forever in your debt. You and your fellow servicemen are the legs that this country stand on, and thanks to your sacrifice, we became even taller.

I think people are often misguided when they thank veterans for ‘risking their lives’. The intent is appreciated, but in my opinion, soldiers don’t risk their life, they give it. Risk implies there’s a chance that they don’t spend countless weeks enduring rigorous preparation and training, that they don’t see their brothers die by their side, that they don’t come home with ruinous mental burdens. But when they courageously enlist, they know that all of those things are givens. Risking your life is brave, but giving it is what America depends on.

Fortunately, fate handed your life back to you, and you survived the war. That is what I am ultimately thankful for: that you are alive and were given the opportunity to go back and return to your family and your home. Now you are seeing once again with aged eyes what you were fighting for when you were so young. You see a land glowing with beauty and treasures. You see a nation that stands for truth and liberty. You see a people hungry for opportunity. But with age, you begin to see even more. You see a land sprawling with progress. You see a nation fighting for the freethinkers and innovators. You see people finally giving you the respect and honor you deserve.

Although I don’t know who you are, I thank you once more. You are one of the faceless heroes that I can look up to, the few people that I can always rely on in doing the right thing. It is my definitive honor to welcome you home and to hopefully enrich your Honor Flight.

Thankfully,

Sam