I immediately picked a card out that I knew he would love. I couldn't find a picture of it, but it looked similar to the one pictured at the top. And yes, I walked out of the store with it. Hook, line, and sinker.
According to Hallmark's corporate site, the American Heroes collection was created in 1917 for those serving in WWI. They've created cards for each major war since then. And they've kept each card to $1.99.
With sentiments ranging from lighthearted to religious, it looks like Hallmark truly does have a card for everyone. I was able to find a card that pretty much said, "I miss your face," and I do. And I know that he appreciated the funny sentiment.
The one thing that strikes me, however, is that this product doesn't have a tie to anyone in the military. I could be wrong here, but it would appear that these cards are solely for profit. If I'm wrong, please let me know. But personally, I would feel much better about buying a card like this if a portion of the proceeds went back to a veterans organization. Because ultimately, who is buying the majority of these cards? My guess, is that they are military families. Something about that bothers me. Of course, it wasn't enough to keep me from buying a card and talking about it here. But I doubt I'll buy another. I'm pretty good at making my own. I appreciate the fact that they exist and I appreciate the fact that the cost remains low, when compared to other cards. Personally, I'd be happier to pay $2.99 per card, knowing that something was given back to veterans in return. Because outside of written sentiment, isn't action an even better way to honor those that have served our country?
