Dear Veteran,

We live in a world where technology is the central focus of life. When people feel the need to express themselves, they share their thoughts on social media outlets; however, I would like to dedicate my thanks to you today in a way that you’re more familiar with. When we post to social media, our voices aren’t fully expressed and often misunderstood. Even though we scroll through posts that honor veterans, writing a letter, to me, is more meaningful than any other form of communication.

As it is my graduating year, I’m looking forward to beginning my studies into biomedical engineering. It’s been a battle of perseverance to get to this point in my life. It has taken me a lot of willpower and dedication, just like it did you when you decided to enlist. In a similar fashion, I understand what it’s like to make decisions on what you want to do and how much work is involved. Sometimes, the decisions we make are decided without knowing what it will mean. With deepest sincerity, I’m here to tell you that your courage and service has not gone unnoticed.

You’ve endured the hardest of hardships in life that most people can’t even imagine, not even myself. Just simply saying “Thank you for your service” is something I’ve concluded to be an understatement.

Your personal experiences, your feelings, and your reasoning for the pledge you made to this country are what people, like me, would like to know more about. What you’ve done has forever changed this country and we wouldn’t have progressed this far, so quickly, without people like you fighting for the bigger picture.

I’ve had experiences that that have made differences in my local communities and they haven’t recognized me for them. I never wanted that kind of notice, but for you, your story and your experiences are more meaningful than anything that I, or anyone in the world, would share and remember for future generations. I would be very interested in hearing about your experiences. If you would like to write me back, I will leave my email address for you below.

With the utmost pleasure, it comes with great honor to thank you for your perseverance and bravery that you’ve brought to the citizens of the United States! I hope your day was as meaningful as it was to write this letter to you! I welcome you home to the land of the free and the home of the brave!