×

Sharing an extra honor from the Honor Flight

EDITOR:

On May 17, I was very fortunate to make the Honor Flight to Washington, D.C.

Not only was it one of the most memorable trips I’ve ever made, but it also made me proud to have served in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps.

What follows is a letter I received during this time.

It’s from a young person and is not signed, only initialed. But it says it all, because it restores my faith in the up-and-coming generation. It grieves me that the press devotes 90 percent of its time to negative actions by 10 percent of the population and virtually ignores uplifting correspondence such as this.

A special thanks to the Honor Flight group for making this a very special day for me.

“Dear Beloved Veteran:

“First and foremost, thank you. I cannot begin to thank you enough for the sacrifices that you made to protect everything that I hold dear. Without brave men and women such as yourself, this beautiful country would not be the same free land that I cherish so much.

“Second, I am so sorry. I feel like many of the current generations of young people have forgotten how much you brave men and women have done to protect the freedoms we take for granted. We learn about the wars in class, we see the pictures, but the true reality is something that is lost to many, and sadly with that, the respect begins to falter.

“I look around and see the disrespect. From simple things like not standing for the pledge of Allegiance, to throwing our flag on the ground and walking on it. It angers me to watch them ignorantly spit on the memories of all those who fought for that flag and all those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

“I don’t claim to understand. Still being a young person, I have not seen the realities of war. I have not seen the hardships you faced.

“For that I thank you. I thank you for creating an era where I don’t have to raise arms and march off. I thank you for risking it all to defend this country.

“I hope you take comfort in the knowledge that there is at least one young person who still gives veterans and all that they fought for, the respect that they deserve.

“Sincerely, a young man who cares”

Donald J. Giesen

Vulcan

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today