Dear Vietnam War Veteran,

Thank you and welcome home. These are two phrases you may have never heard. But these are things you should have been told as soon as the war ended. I hope this Honor Flight shows you how thankful I am are for your service. I am grateful for your sacrifice.

My name is Vienna. I am a senior in high school and college is just around the corner. I am excited to start my life—a life you couldn’t start until after the war. It makes me feel heartbroken when I think about young men only 18 going off to war even before they developed the maturity to do so. I am grateful you gave up your childhood to fight for your country—before you could find true love, before you could begin an education, and before you could start a family.

My grandpa served in the Vietnam War. He died before I was born. He met my grandma before he left, but they wrote letters back and forth and kept their love. He didn’t have the choice to to go to war because he was drafted. I can’t even imagine how hard it was for you to leave your family not by choice. I am thankful that you gave up your choice so I could have choices.

I wish my grandpa was still around. There are so many questions left unanswered. I’m sure there are still many questions you have as well: Why did they not welcome me home? What was the point? How can I make them understand? How can I forget? These questions may make you feel sorrow about your long days in Vietnam and the long days when you returned home. But I want you to know that I value the hardships you conquered, and how you sacrificed and fought for your country.

I have heard many stories about Vietnam and what the soldiers experienced. I’m sure that image is engraved in your mind as well. None of us can even begin to understand what you went through during that horrifying war. We can never even begin to repay you for your sacrifice. But I hope this Honor Flight shows you how much we love you.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a symbol of your sacrifice. Memorials are there to honor you and to show that there are no words to describe how thankful we are. I hope this is your chance to be welcomed home properly.

When you get home, I hope you are saluted as not just a soldier of the Vietnam, but also as a war hero. It is who you are, and what you deserve.

Thank You and Welcome Home,

Vienna