For students in Sean Haardt’s ninth-grade government class, Veterans Day brings a very special assignment. Veterans Day is held every year on Nov. 11 and honors the brave men and women who honor our country by fighting in international conflicts, but Haardt takes it one step further.

“For Veterans Day we were going to honor the soldiers and their families and all the sacrifices they have made by sending letters to the soldiers overseas,” said Haardt.

The project started in Haardt’s class three years ago when the mother of a student brought the group “A Million Thanks” to his attention. The non-profit organization, which was founded in 2004, encourages people to write and send letters to those fighting over seas and has already sent almost 7 million letters to active duty military members.

“I thought it would be a great way to contribute to a good cause,” said Haardt. “The kids really responded great.”

“Students drew pictures on the letters and envelopes,” he said. “Some included their email address in the letter so they could get a response. I think for the first time [the students] really sat back and thought about the questions they would ask a soldier.”

The kids were no doubt curious about what life is like for a soldier. Questions poured in from the students ranging from “What do you miss most?” to “How do you keep up with the NFL season and your favorite sports?”

When MHS freshman Tim Karth heard about the letter-writing assignment, he was excited.

“I think too often we take for granted the freedom that we have,” said Karth. “I made sure to tell them how thankful I was for everything that they do for us in my letter.”

The letters were taken by Haardt to the drop off location in Oakland, Maryland, where they will be shipped to U.S. Army bases in the Middle East.

“I hope they took a moment to remember that we do have a lot of soldiers overseas, and they really had to think about what life is like for those guys,” said Haardt.