Veterans Day falls on Nov. 11, honoring military forces across the nation. However, those who have parents or relatives still in the military might find it difficult to actually do so.

“I have one relative in the army,” senior Nate Kincaid said. “I’m thankful that he’s in the army and protects us, but it can be hard for the family when he’s reassigned.”

Many individuals are affected by the military, especially during the changing of the seasons as holidays come around the corner. Whether it is because someone has had a relative in the military or they know someone who has been in the military, it can be hard to reach and get into contact with those overseas.

“The hardest part of [my step-dad] being away was definitely the lack of communication,” senior Darrell Fischer said. “We really only talked every two or three weeks and it was usually six months of him being overseas before I got to see him.”

The Pew Research Center found that about 61 percent of Americans have an immediate family member who has served in the military, which shows how many people can be affected.

People can close the gap between military personnel and families by writing letters to soldiers. Several people choose to write to the men and women of the military even when they do not know them personally. By writing letters, soldiers overseas are able to receive a token of appreciation from anyone, or a reminder that people care for their actions.

If you want to participate in writing letters to soldiers, you can visit Operation Gratitude which is an organization that helps military personnel to receive letters and other donations during the holidays. They will ship letters and packages to those in the military, which they say is a true morale booster. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out directly to their help pages.