Military Heroes Month: Thank a Hero on Veterans Day

Nov 15, 2012 5:30 PM ET

Southwest Airlines has a long-standing history of supporting the men and women who fight for our Freedom. This Veterans Day weekend, you’ll see Employees across the nation saying thank you to the brave who safeguard our country—whether they’re wearing red in honor of our heroes or they’re allowing service men and women the opportunity to be among the first to board and deplane. You might also see our Flight Crews wearing patriotic ties, pins, and/or military-related hats, as well as offer servicemen and women with military ID a complimentary beverage.

We’ve also teamed up with A Million Thanks for the fourth year in a row to give our Customers and Employees the opportunity to send a note of thanks to those currently serving our country. A Million Thanks began as a grassroots effort by a high school student to bring letters of gratitude and thanks from the folks back home to active duty servicemen and women across the world. In just seven months, she reached her goal of one million letters sent to our active duty military, but the impact that the A Million Thanks campaign had in such a short time inspired her to continue her mission. To date, the A Million Thanks organization has sent more than 4.5 million thank you notes to active duty U.S. military personnel around the world.

In honor of Veterans Day, we’re proud to carry on this mission of thanks, and support this organization’s efforts. On select Southwest and AirTran flights, we’ll be giving Customers the opportunity to write a note of gratitude to an active duty service person beginning today, Nov. 9 through Nov. 12. Flight Attendants will have blank patriotic-themed cards on hand for Customers who wish to participate, allowing them to fill out and share a message of thanks. At the end of the flight, the cards will be collected for a mass distribution to the A Million Thanks organization.

If you’re flying this Veterans Day weekend and happen to be on one of these flights, please consider filling out a card and sharing a simple “thank you” with a Military Hero who has sacrificed so much for our Freedoms.

Patriotism runs deep at Southwest Airlines, and we are proud of all those who serve, especially the nearly 5,800 Active Duty, Reservists, and Veterans who are part of the Southwest Family. In celebration of Military Heroes Month in November, you’ll hear about and read blogs about service, how we honor the military, the sacrifice these heroes make, and how we celebrate the brave who fight for our Freedoms. Who’s your hero? How do you appreciate the military? Share your story by commenting below.

Photo: Southwest Airlines has joined forces with photographer Robert X. Fogarty and Dear World, which works through the medium of photography to give its subjects a simple and profound voice through photos.