Dear Vietnam veteran,

I understand when you came home from the war  you may not have been provided with the welcoming you deserved, so I would like to start out with a simple welcome home. The Vietnam veterans were not  treated with the love and respect that any human being who put their life on the line should receive and I would like to say that I’m sorry for that. I want you to know I am grateful for everything that you did in order to keep our country safe and I could never describe the amount of respect I have for you.

I am a senior in high school with the stress of what to do after I graduate  hanging over me. It is people like you though that have helped me to decide what kind of things I would like to do in life. Growing up I have wanted to be a doctor but never knew what to study. This changed though after I attended a school trip  to Washington, D.C.. While I was in D.C. I visited the war memorials that commemorate people who sacrificed everything like you did. It had hit me that I needed to be looking at the military and what  it has to offer to me. I want to help those most in need. I want to help people in the same way you did when you put your life on the line to defend our country.

Standing in front of the names of the fallen service members was something  I will never forget. I know that many people will never  understand what you went through during the war and just what you saw and sacrificed for our country. I’m sorry that this is the case, I realize it may be what held people back from giving you a proper welcome home. I welcome you home wholeheartedly. It’s people with bravery like yours that have helped me to realize what path to take in life and I thank you for that.

I have looked up to current and past service members in my life and have seen them as the heroes that they are. Although you don’t know me, I hope that you are still able to understand just how much I appreciate you. I would love to hear back from you and maybe learn about your service so I don't become another one of those who thinks they know what you went through when in reality I do not.

Thank you for everything that you have done. Welcome home.