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(Nov.) Veteran's Day Activity-Letter Writing!

Honor Flight's "Mail Call" for WWII and Korean Veterans

October 7, 2015

Ok I am sitting here crying watching these YouTube videos and hoping we can make a small difference in the lives of the Veterans who don't have family to receive mail on their Honor Flight. 


Honor Flight is a flight World War II Veterans get to take at absolutely no cost to them. Most of these men and women had never toured D.C. nor seen their monuments. Honor Flight makes it possible for them to go. During their flight, the Veterans receive packages filled with letters from their families. The experience is called "mail call" and it's the same process that was used during World War II.

Each Veteran's name will be called and he will be given a stack of mail. The sponsors ask the Veteran's family to write letters but some Veteran's don't have many family members left. They love to give each Veteran the same amount of mail so having letters from other adults and children is important. You can see a real "mail call" from a previous Honor Flight below.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wty1-U3ieak


If you'd like to make cards or write letters to those Veterans who wouldn't otherwise receive any letters, please read on how you can participate! 
http://www.honorflightdfw.org/doc/mail_call_family_friends.pdf

Here are a couple of tips:
  • Please do not fold or put the letters in envelopes. It is easier to put several unfolded letters in one large envelope.
  • It is best to address the letters to "Dear Veteran" instead of specifying "WWII" or "Korean."
  • Veterans LOVE letters from children, especially when the kids tell them about themselves i.e. their hobbies, etc.
  • If possible, ask the children not to say "please write me back." The Veterans are overwhelmed with gratitude by all the letters they receive and they feel guilty if someone asks them to write back and they can't.
If you have any more questions on how you can participate, please email me angelam@macaronikid.com. My hope is we can send a decent amount of letters to those who otherwise wouldn't get anything!

Check out more about Honor Flight below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E7GLdYhm3s