Dear Soldier,

With Memorial Day coming to an end, I thought it would be the perfect time to thank all who serve or have served in the military and their families. There will never be enough words to express the gratefulness that all Americans, including myself, have for you.

Of all the professions in the world, yours is not only the toughest but also requires the most sacrifice. The training both physically and mentally that you go through is unlike any other. Day after day, you put yourself through physically grueling training, that not many people would be able to accomplish. For every deployment you take, you leave behind your loved ones. I can't imagine being away from my family and friends for extended periods of time.

You find ways to always be there for your family even when you are half way across the world. Soldiers sacrifice time with their families in order to protect people they don’t even know. Whether its Skyping at odd times of the night or phone calls through out the day, you always try to make time for your family. Since you, at times, are thousands miles of way, you come up with creative ways to let your family and friends know you are still there.

Its also extremely important to take the time to thank your families. Your parents for raising an amazing child who has such bravery and courage and your significant others, children, and friends who miss you terribly while you are gone.

It takes a special kind of person to willingly put themselves in a situation that may possibly put them in danger. The courage and strength that you possess is extremely admirable. You represent to the rest of the country what true bravery is and for that I thank you.

Most importantly it needs to be recognized and appreciated that your sacrifices allow us the freedoms that some take for granted. Your job affords all Americans protection of our lives and other rights. I am honored to have had both of my grandpas serve, one in the Army and the other in the Navy. I’m proud to know that both of my grandpas were willing to serve for our country and make sacrifices to protect others.

You are some of the strongest, bravest and resilient people in the world. As much as I can try to imagine and understand what soldiers go through on a daily basis, I will never truly understand a soldiers life. All I can do is say thank you, thank you for all that you do for this country.

Thank you,

An extremely grateful American