Beef jerky, magazines, and clothing are heavily sought after items in a military care package, but it’s really all about the letters. At the most highly requested item from deployed soldiers, letters have an incomprehensible value to the morale of a soldier. This is why the fifth grade class at Maple Lawn Elementary School partnered together with Southwest Airlines and A Million Thanks to send their appreciation to our Armed Forces through a letter writing campaign in honor of Veteran’s Day. On November 2 , the fifth grade classrooms at Maple Lawn Elementary received a visit from Southwest Pilot Dan McElroy, retired Commander from the United States Naval Reserve, and Southwest volunteers as they worked together to compile nearly 100 letters to send to our troops overseas. “I served in the Navy for 29 years,” McElroy explained. “I was away from my family and friends for a long time, and whenever I received a care package with a letter, especially from kids in elementary school, it put a huge smile on my face.”
The letters were collected at the end of the day and will be sent to deployed troops in honor of Veterans Day on November 11th through A Million Thanks, an organization whose goal is to provide support to service members and their families through letter writing.
One student’s special message read:
“I want to be in the army just like you. I have read many books about famous soldiers and revolutionary wars. All these books have taught me one thing, fear and discouragement is just another reason to try harder. Many soldiers just like you have taught me to never give up. Thank you for all that you have done to protect our country.”
If you’re looking for a way to show your support to our troops, Southwest would like to invite you to send your thanks to our Military via Twitter on November 11th, by tweeting @SouthwestAir and using #AMillionThanks in your message. Southwest volunteers will then transcribe the tweet onto a handwritten card and have it sent to a deployed soldier through A Million Thanks so you too can make a difference.
A special thank you to any veterans or active military members who have served our country: From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for your service!