Dear Dad,

Thank you so much for everything you have done for me. You are my hero. You are my savior. You have done everything for me. From putting me to sleep when I was a baby to reading me stories when I was a little girl. You are my rock.

When I was a teenager I hated that you were so protective and I thought that if you hadn’t been in the Marines you wouldn’t be so protective. Now, I see it as a blessing. You wanted the absolute best for me and you wouldn’t let anyone hurt me no matter what. I always bragged to my friends about how my dad was a Marine so he was automatically the coolest. I didn’t know at the time how much hardship and pain you had to go through to earn that title, how many of your friends you had to see in pain or worse, in coffins. Earning that title was incredibly hard and you act as if it was as easy a climbing stairs. I know that I could have lost you many times, and I almost did. From fighting wildfires to going overseas and aiding with missions, you are the most amazing man I know. Yes, sometimes your inner Marine would come through and I could see what they did to you, how they changed your mind, but you never stopped being the loving and caring man I’ve always known.

The marines go by The Few, The Proud for a reason. I am so proud of you and I will never be able to articulate how lucky I feel to be able to call my father a Marine. I look up to you and your brothers. You never thought something that seems so long ago could affect me so much, but it did. For my dad, my Marine. Thank you. I love you.