Dear Dr. Weir,
We want to thank you for your letter of sympathy about our son. He was with your expedition for less than a year but we can see from your tape that you feel his loss deeply. We wish you could have told us how he died.We hope the information will be declassified one day so that we will know what happened. You said he died in defense of others and that his sacrifice saved many lives. We are heartbroken but proud he faced the end with honor, bravery, and courage and that, at the very least, his death was not meaningless. If we ever have any doubts, we can rewatch your tape and remember he made a difference in this world before he died.
Sincerely,
Thomas and Jean Markham
Inspired by a letter used in the movie "Memphis Belle" (which I think are actual letters from parents of dead soldiers)
A lot of people have requested letters from the families to Weir. I have to admit that I've been putting them off. I live in a city with a miliary base and you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who hasn't lost a friend or family member or who isn't currently praying for the safe return of someone they love in Iraq. Somehow it has just felt wrong to write fanfiction about letters from parents of dead soldiers.