William White, a 104-year-old U.S. Marine veteran who earned a Purple Heart in World War Two, celebrated Valentine's Day this year in a way that could’ve never been expected, surrounded by a mountain of 70,000+ love letters and well-wishes sent from all over the world.
The cards and notes to "Major Bill," a retired major who lives in an assisted living facility in Stockton, California, began pouring in after fellow resident, Tony Walker, launched a social media campaign called "Operation Valentine," asking friends and strangers alike to send greetings to honor White.
At the outset, the goal was a modest 100 cards - about one for every one of White's birthdays - but the response has completely blown that cautious estimate out of the water.
“For those sending Valentines, White represents something bigger than himself. Many of them have conveyed a deep appreciation not only to White for his service, but to all veterans who died too soon to hear their gratitude.
On a recent day, White's great-granddaughter Abigail Sawyer, 9, delivered a bundle of cards from her fourth-grade class, many of them decorated with the American flag.
A week before Valentine's Day at least 70,000 pieces of correspondence had arrived from people in every U.S. state and several foreign countries.
So much mail has been delivered that White's family has had to enlist volunteers to help open the cards and read the warm wishes to White, who retired after 35 years of active service, including time in the Pacific theater of WWII, when he was wounded at Iwo Jima.
Many of the emotional messages have shared a deep appreciation not only for Major White for his service, but to all veterans who have given their lives to their country.
“It’s just too fantastic,” White told Reuters. “It’s something I’ve never heard of or seen. All of a sudden here, like a ton of bricks. I’m sort of speechless.”
So for this month we’re breaking protocol and designating not just Major Bill our #BeBetter Hero but also those 70,000 individuals, and counting, who contributed to this absolutely heartwarming story.
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Take a minute to tell us and describe how it lives up to the I Do It For Her mission and maybe we can help you continue having that impact! And if you haven’t already, please consider making a tax-exempt donation to help us provide partial scholarships to low-income students attending college.
Hope you’re having a great start to 2020 and that one of your resolutions was to be that person who inspires others just like Tanvi Barman has done.
- Adam
Photo, video, and other content courtesy of Canice Leung, Reuters