Shawn Mello

To Mark and America’s Freedom Lodge,

I would like to express my deep gratitude for inviting me to participate in the disabled hunt and for the time that you shared with me. To have you and your family extend yourself in such a gracious manner has made such a deep impact on my life. I am so thankful for your caring heart to be moved to touch people’s lives that are in such turmoil and need. From my own experience, it can be very difficult at times to cope with a disability and the feeling of inadequacy. You and your family truly have given me the opportunity to put those feelings in the past and be able to enjoy something that I truly love. Your property is awe-inspiring and the experience of being in the middle of such great wildlife made my time with you unforgettable. I still can’t get over the amount of deer that we saw in such a short period of time.

But I must say in all sincerity that the pinnacle of my trip was being able to spend time with you, your family, and the members of America’s Freedom Lodge. I know you said that the reason you do what you do is because of the sacrifice the military makes for your freedom, however I will say from my heart that the reason I sacrificed so much is because of folks like you which makes up our great nation. I have been touched by your graciousness in such a way that it has caused me to be more cognizant of how I can bless others. I implore you to continue with your servant’s heart towards disabled veterans and continue to make a difference in people’s lives. Thank you so much for the great hunt and I hope that we will be able to do it again in the future.

May the Lord bless you,
Shawn Mello
Master Sergeant (Ret)
United States Army Special Forces