SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Nearly 100 veterans from World War II, the Korean War, and/or the Vietnam War are heading to Washington, D.C., this weekend to visit the memorials honoring their service.
But before their Honor Flight takes off from San Diego International Airport this Friday, the veterans will receive a nostalgic surprise: a "Mail Call" featuring approximately 11,000 letters of gratitude from around the world.
Each veteran will receive a bag containing about 120 handwritten letters expressing gratitude for their service. The letters will be delivered right before take off, so the veterans can enjoy reading them during their flight.
This tradition is known as 'mail call'.
"It's a call back to the past, and we see them light up whenever they hear a mail call," Mail Call Coordinator Dave Hester said.
The tradition of Mail Call began during World War I as a morale boost for troops receiving letters of love and support from home. Honor Flight San Diego carries on that tradition by delivering letters from students, organizations, and supporters worldwide.
Honor Flight San Diego Coordinator Donna Hester has been organizing the Mail Call for nearly a decade. She's written to dozens of different groups and businesses, requesting they write letters to the veterans. Since she started volunteering 10 years ago, the number of letters has grown from 3,000 to 11,000.
This year's letters were written from the following:
- Soldier's Angels
- Daughters of the American Revolution
- Local Youth Volunteer Organizations
- JustServe Volunteers
- Quilting Club at Rancho Bernardo Community Church
- Girl Scout & Boy Scout Troops
- School Classrooms
- CA Cadet Youth Programs
- ROTCs
- Pacific Beach American Legion Auxiliary Unit 552
- AT&T
- Mira Messa Women's Club
- Mission Bay Women's Club
- VFWs
- Sharp Hospice Care
- Uni-Care Hospice
- Rotary Clubs
- Tierrasanta Village Homeowners
- Sycuan Casino
- Friends of Troops
- Former Honor Flight Veteran Families
"I think they're mostly just so the veterans are so appreciative that folks would want to take the time to do this to thank them for their service," Donna Hester said.
Hester recruited Honor Flight San Diego Board Director Lina Arnold to volunteer years ago. The two were once guardians to a World War II veteran, Andre Chappaz, whom they met on an Honor Flight years ago. Seeing how the experience changed his life inspired them to want the same for every veteran.
"Your whole [body], the chills, the people get crazy, it's just the emotions are just so wonderful, and it's just one of those things that I think we all look and strive for," Arnold said.
The veterans will be departing for Washington, D.C. this Friday and returning Sunday for the grand homecoming at SAN.
They will have the entire weekend to read through their letters between visits to the World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War memorials.
Hester said many of the veterans even love to write back, especially to the children who sent them letters.
