Ninety-five-year-old Frank Grasberger, a veteran of World War II who fought in the Battle of the Bulge, received a letter twelve years ago on an Honor Flight home from Germany. The letter, written by a 9-year-old girl named DaShauna Priest, contained a pencil and crayon drawing of an American flag and a soldier's helmet adorned with flowers.

In the letter, the young girl expressed her gratitude to Frank for his role in defeating Hitler and bringing freedom to her country. The heartfelt letter left a profound impact on Frank, and he continues to carry it with him to this day. He carefully keeps the paper folded and close to him, either in his shirt pocket or beneath his wheelchair seat.

Courtesy of Jill Pawloski

“Reading that letter really tore my heart up, I just couldn’t believe a child could write a letter about war,” the veteran told Jill Pawloski, the resident services director at Vitalia Senior Residence in Strongsville, Ohio, where Frank currently lives.

The letter was made as part of a writing assignment at Irving Elementary in Lorain. Frank responded with a letter of his own and mailed it to the school, hoping to connect with its writer. However, he didn’t receive any confirmation that DaShauna had received it.

Frank and his wife, Delores, tried to ask for the family’s information, but school staff said they were prohibited from giving it out. Eventually, the school closed.

Courtesy of Jill Pawloski

Frank gave up hope of finding the girl but kept her letter close to his heart.

“When he has that letter with him, he has a feeling of faith, and trust, and love,” Delores said.

This past summer, Frank shared the note with Jill. She saw how much it meant to Frank and Delores to find out what had happened to DaShauna, so she did some sleuthing.

“I searched Facebook, but came up with something like 200 women with the same name,” Jill explained. “I decided to try Instagram and that had fewer returns – one woman who looked to be about the right age and lived in Ohio – so I took a shot in the dark.”

A couple of days later, she received a response—it was, indeed, the letter’s author, and she only lived an hour away in Sandusky. And the best part? She is now a military woman herself!

Courtesy of Jill Pawloski

Jill contacted Frank’s daughter, Bonnie, to arrange the surprise visit. Frank was told he was being interviewed by a local TV station about the letter to help him find who wrote it. But the truth was, DaShauna was going to visit him that day.

DaShauna walked into the room, donning her own military uniform and bearing flowers. Frank looked at the young woman in disbelief.

“You’re not the girl,” he exclaimed when she entered. “Don’t make me cry, please. Honest to God. Oh, I love you so much. I really do. You don’t know how long…I pray every night with this thing, I really do. This is a Godsend, it really is.”

As Frank showed DaShauna the letter she wrote all those years ago, the now 21-year-old had a surprise of her own: Frank’s reply, which her mother had kept away in a memory box.

“I had searched for him over the years, as well, but never got anywhere,” DaShauna said. “I didn’t even know if he was still alive, so when I got the message from the senior residence, I just sat and cried. I meant so much to me to know he had been looking for me too.”

Courtesy of Jill Pawloski

After spending three hours swapping stories and getting acquainted, DaShauna, now a member of the Ohio National Guard, wondered if her third-grade assignment had influenced her decision to join the military. Since childhood, she had always admired people in uniform and aspired to the level of commitment and service they represented. Taking her assignment seriously, DaShauna reflected on the impact it had on her life, gaining not only a new family but also a sense of purpose.

Despite only meeting once, Frank sees DaShauna as his "third daughter" and eagerly anticipates her next visit, where he will have the opportunity to meet her six-month-old son. They plan to spend Veteran's Day on November 11 together. Watch the video below to discover more about their heartwarming story.