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Posted on July 8, 2007 - 14:47 PM |
  
1. Send us the Name and Address of a Veteran Who Would Like to Receive a Letter of Gratitude!
If you know a Veteran who would like to receive a Letter of Gratitude, please send us the Veteran's name and regular mailing address (we want them to receive the letter in their physical mailbox at home, not by email). We are gathering letters from grateful Americans who wish to say “Thank You” and will send the letters on to those Veterans who did not hear our thanks when they served.
Operation Gratitude will ensure they hear it now.
Please send Veteran contact information (specify in which war(s) they served) to Penny Alfonso at: pennyalfonso@yahoo.com
and include: “VETERAN CONTACT INFORMATION” in the subject line.
2. Write a Letter of Gratitude to a Veteran
There are tens of thousands of Veterans of military conflicts in our country who are not currently serving, but have served our country in the past (during WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, etc) and we want to
thank them for keeping our country safe and free.
It’s long overdue, but never too late. America owes our Military Veterans an eternal debt of Gratitude. Just as we support our men and women currently deployed overseas, now is your chance to thank those courageous Veterans who served our nation in past wars and conflicts and the cause of freedom. Write a Letter of Gratitude to a Veteran thanking them for all they did for our country. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR LETTERS WILL FIT IN A STANDARD LETTER-SIZED ENVELOPE!
Please send letters by regular mail only to:
Thank a Veteran
c/o Penny Alfonso
1970 Rangeview Drive
Glendale, CA 91201
Thank you for your kind support of all our men and women of the U.S. Military—past and present!
   
LETTERS FROM VETERANS
We received the following letters from Vietnam Veterans in response to receiving Operation Gratitude Letters of Thanks:
"When I opened your envelope today and read your letter and the 3 others you have sent me, I was profoundly moved. Through the years since I returned home, I have had people, from time to time, thank me for my service. But this is the first time I have received letters sent from the heart by people who have no idea who I am. Only the fact that I served. With each one I read, I could feel the emotions welling up inside and when I finished the last one, I was filled to bursting with pride, love for my country, and love for my people. Please accept my thanks for your thoughtfulness and caring. I never thought letters like this could have such an effect. You have given me a gift I will carry in my heart always. Sincerely, RM2 P.R. USCG"
"I went to the mailbox at my normal time of day to get me and my son's mail, usually browsing through it to see what is there, and I stumbled on a letter addressed to me. I could not fathom who would send me mail because I do not get anything besides reminder letters for my doctor appointments. As I began to read the letter it wasn't too far into it that I began to cry. I felt like an angel had delivered the mail that day. I do not know how you ever found out I was a Vietnam Veteran. I would like to express my deepest and heart warming thanks for the joy that you brought into my life that day. I can not find the words to express just how much your letter did mean to me, but if the word "Thank You" were to go a million miles, it would go those million miles with you. It takes a lot to touch a person's heart in a way that they are most grateful, but you have done that for me. I appreciate all of the time and effort you put into your letter. You are more than welcome to keep in touch, and I will pray to God that he recognize the wonderful person you are, and give you life's joys. Best wishes.
Thank You, B.B.
P.S. I am enclosing my division patch that I served with in Vietnam, the Big Red One - First Infantry Division, and our regimental patch, The Blue Spaders."
"I received your letter today. I was somewhat confused because I did not recognize your name or the organization. When I showed it to my wife, she told me that she had submitted my name to your organization. You will never fully know how much your letter means to me.
As I read it, I teared up because I can tell that you are speaking from your heart. It is because of Americans like you that veterans are proud of their service to our country and that is why our current warriors are proud to serve this great nation and its people.
I recently attended my first military reunion for the units that I served with in Viet Nam, the 1st Infantry Division and the 1st BN 26th Inf. Regiment. One of the men that I met made a comment that really hit home. He said, "Finally today it is okay to be a Viet Nam Vet." It is truly sad that it took 40 years. Because of you, it is more than just okay to be a Viet Nam Vet. You touched my heart. Thank you.
Respectfully, T.W.
Viet Nam May, 1968-July, 1969
P.S. I am enclosing the names and addresses of two Viet Nam Vets who would be grateful to receive a letter such as the one you sent me."
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