Sometimes we forget the harsh sacrifice that some soldiers make to defend freedom, as, for example, sometimes happens to veterans of World War II . But sometimes, there are heartwarming moments, like the one 95-year-old Frank Grasberger of Strongsville, Ohio experienced recently.
Twelve years ago and during a tribute ceremony, Grasberger received a letter from a 9-year-old girl named Dashauna Priest. In the letter, the girl thanked the ex-military for the services.
“Dear WWII veteran. Thank you for saving us from Hitler. If it weren’t for you, we would never have freedom. You made freedom for us. You sacrificed your life. I’m happy you made that sacrifice,” the letter read.
Grasberger and his wife Delores tried to locate the little girl to thank her for her words, but were unable to, and the veteran kept the letter for 12 years as his most valuable treasure.
Until the employee of the residence where Grasberger now lives became interested in the matter and after an internet search, he managed to find her and reunite them.
Now the girl is 21 years old and she came to the residence by surprise wearing her National Guard uniform , which was a double surprise for the veteran and his wife.
Grasberger was surprised when she presented him with a bouquet of roses and the thank you letter that he and his wife sent to their school to deliver. Until that point, they had no idea if he had ever received it.
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“You’re not the girl,” the veteran exclaimed when he saw her, incredulous. “Please don’t make me cry. Oh God. Oh, I love you so much. I really do . You don’t know how long … I pray every night with this [letter] thing, I really do. This is a gift from the honey, it really is, “the ex-soldier said excitedly.
Now they plan to stay in touch, and the video of the touching moment was shared on TikTok , where it has been viewed more than 4.4 million times.