Thank You Patriots of WWII

Today marks the 65th anniversery of D-Day. I am posting a letter that I wrote to my Grandfather to thank him for his service in World War II. He served in the Navy in the Pacific during the war after leaving college and enlisting at 17 years old. He is an American Hero, as are all the Americans who answered the call and took up arms in that dark hour. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude. Take a moment today and tell a World War II vet, "Thank You."



Grandpa,

I have the deepest respect for you, both as a Godly man and example to me, and as a man who answered the call of duty in his country’s hour of need. I am grateful beyond words for what you and those you served with achieved. Your generation of fighting men guaranteed the freedom and security of Americans as well as countless others around the globe. My debt of gratitude and the debt of gratitude owed you by your country cannot be measured. Thank you; from the bottom of my heart…Thank you.

Memorials and ceremonies are wonderful. They are a fitting honor for the enormity of the task you faced. However, in the end they are passing mementos that time will erase. Your lasting legacy is one not memorialized in statues or holidays; it is a legacy that is memorialized and lived everyday by Americans that go about their lives in freedom, peace, and security. That is legacy that time cannot erase and ultimately it is the most fitting memorial of your dedication to duty and your personal sacrifice.

I am thankful that I have you for a roll model; both as a roll model for firmness of faith and as a roll model for service to country. I hope that I, and those that I served with, have helped pass on your legacy to following generations. I hope and pray that history will not find us wanting in carrying on the torch of liberty that you and your generation bore so well.

Thank you so much for your service and unwavering commitment. I hope that the monument in Washington, along with this letter, conveys the gratitude of a grateful nation and my own personal gratitude for your service. It is an honor to have you for a grandfather and I treasure all that I have learned from you.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you.