BARBERTON, Ohio — Patriotic Barberton East 4th-grader Claire Eberhart doesn’t shy away from her love for our country. 

  • A military veteran saw Claire Eberhart’s Veterans Day thank you card at Applebee’s, where she was enjoying a meal 
  • The veteran was so moved by the card, she had to write one back
  • The veteran calls it one of her best Veterans Days ever

“Every time we’re watching TV and the National Anthem comes on for a sporting event or some other reason, she stands up and salutes the TV and sings along,” said Megann Eberhart, Claire’s mother. 

Mike and Megann Eberart are her parents, and even they were surprised when Claire and her classmates put pen to paper on Veterans Day to say thank you. 

“We were in class and we had extra time, so we wanted to write some cards,” said Claire Eberhart.

That letter made it to a local Applebee’s, where a veteran was out with her son, enjoying a free meal, when she stumbled on Claire’s kind words:

Dear Veteran, Thank you for your service. My name is Claire. I am a fourth grade student at Barberton Elementary East. I play softball and basketball. I have two veterans in my family, one passed about nine years ago, one is still alive and comes to Barberton almost every Friday. Sincerely, Claire.

Army Sergeant Debbie Stockavas was the veteran who read that thank you card.

“When I saw it, I thought, ‘oh my gosh!’ And I opened it, read it, and I got teary,” said Stockavas.

Stockavas was determined to let Claire know how touched she was by the act of kindness.

So, she got in contact with the school’s principle Matt Saunders.

“I was ecstatic, because you never know what kind of emails a principal’s going to get, to get one from a veteran who was so appreciative to one of our students. I read it, I was actually at home and I was really excited to send it to our superintendent,” said Matt Saunders, Barberton East principal.

 He went as far as to share Stockavas’ thank you letter to Claire on social media: 

I was so touched and moved by her kindness, compassion and gratefulness, I left it on the table, even though I really wanted to take it, for the next veteran that may have been seated at that table. I did take a picture of it with my cell phone. Please thank her, and her parents for making this Veterans Day one of my best ever. 

And even though Stockavas’ thank you to Claire had the whole town talking, the two had not met… until now.

Stockavas may not have the card, but they have something better —a new friendship, some very proud parents, and a very proud school. 

“I was so overwhelmed by the whole thing. I had never known that anyone would do that. Especially a child,” said Stockavas.

Because a Veterans Day’s thank you can go a long way, but so can a Veterans Day you’re welcome.