My name is Felipe and like most, if not all of you receiving this letter, I am a Veteran of the United States of America Military at arms. I served in the U.S. Army for 3 years and of those 3 years, half of my time of service was spent at my duty station of Alaska and the other half was spent in Iraq. Forward Operating Base (F.O.B) Marez in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul was my primary location while on my tour of duty. I obtained my injury from a gun shot wound after my unit (172nd Stryker Brigade) was informed of a 4 month extension to our tour of duty to Iraq’s capital city Baghdad. Since that day, I am required to use a wheelchair as a means of transportation due to the fact that I am paralyzed from the waist down from injuries occurred by my tragic incident.
Now I would like to thank all of my fellow Veterans and say, your sacrifice has not gone unnoticed. For you are the unseen, under-appreciated protectors of all that we hold dear. To every man and woman who preserved the Freedoms and Liberties for all and to all who have ever proudly worn our Nation’s uniform, I say, Thank You!
You, our soldiers, have been and continue to be, the greatest force for freedom and human rights ever gathered. You have raised our flag around the world, not for domination, but to bring greater liberty and a better way of life. You are the reason America remains a beacon of hope to the entire world. This Country owes you a huge debt and gratitude for all you have done on her behalf. I am pleased to have you in all as part of my extended family.