Dear Veteran,

The Honor Flight is one of the greatest trips in all of the world. Today you got to go on a fantastic adventure looking through the many monuments and the world you possibly lived in the past. Recently I have watched the Honor Flight special about the 50th flight on WISN 12 and thought it would be a great chance and privilege to write to you. I am Jake Zirgibel and I currently am a senior and attend Arrowhead High School in Hartland, Wisconsin. I will be attending college next year and can not even believe what you had to go through at this time in your life. Just thinking about what you have gone through is just amazing and brave on your end. I would like to welcome you back home and hope this day is everything that it was made to be and more. 

Over this last summer, I had a chance to visit the memorials for the second time. The first time I visited I was only 12 and then this summer I was 17. It was eye-opening to see how I saw everything just a little bit different from the first to the second. It was very different because the first time I went I saw all of these different memorials and did not really know the meaning or why I was there but this last time I saw everything and realized how important these are to the entire country. The little things said at each memorial or not said at others can explain everything about what happened in each time period. 

This journey today proves your bravery and your courage. It proves that you are my hero. Veterans are heroes not only because of what decisions they make but why they make them. You have created a fundamental way of living and gave everyone the right to live safe. I call veterans heroes because they put everything on the lines for the ones they love. Sending you on this journey may only be giving a little back but I hope there is still more to come. I hope we can keep showing you are support day today and make a difference as you did for us. 

I just want to say welcome home and thank you for your service.