Background information and commentary by Andrew Carroll : This week's letter will be the last in the “Lines of Fire” series, and I want to thank everyone at military.com -- especially Ward Carroll (no relation) and Chris Michel -- for giving the Legacy Project the opportunity to share some of the best wartime letters and e-mails from our collection. Picking a final letter was difficult, as we have so many thousands to choose from, but in honor of the 4th of July I wanted to find something that captured the spirit of the holiday -- and also of the Legacy Project itself. The letter I ultimately selected is not your traditional “war letter” in that it is not about combat, and it was not even written during a full-blown conflict; it was written, in fact, by a thirty-six-year old U.S. Army major named Tom O'Sullivan, who was stationed in Bosnia with the Fourth Battalion, Sixty-seventh Armor at Camp Colt. It embodies the selflessness and humanity of American troops, and it is a powerful reminder of the sacrifices these servicemen and women, who are often separated from their loved ones for long periods of time, make on and off the field of battle. O'Sullivan was a peacekeeper in the once war-torn country, and he frequently wrote to his wife Pam and their two children, Tara and Conor, to emphasize how much he loved and missed them. On September 16, 1997, Conor's birthday, O'Sullivan sent his son a gift he hoped would have special meaning. This letter was first published in its entirety in WAR LETTERS.

Dear Conor,

I am very sorry that I could not be home for your seventh birthday, but I will soon be finished with my time here in Bosnia and will return to be with you again. You know how much I love you, and that's what counts the most. I think that's all I will think about on your birthday is how proud I am to be your Dad and what a great kid you are.

I remember the day you were born and how happy I was. It was the happiest I have ever been in my life and I will never forget that day. I didn't let anyone else hold you much because I wanted to hold you all the time….

There aren't any stores here in Bosnia, so I couldn't buy you any toys for your birthday. What I am sending you is something very special though. It is a flag. This flag represents America and makes me proud each time I see it. When the people here in Bosnia see it on our uniforms, or flying above our camps, they know it represents freedom, and for them, peace after many years of war. Sometimes, this flag is even more important to them than it is to people who live in America because it represents the sacrifices it takes to bring peace to places like Bosnia.

This flag was flown over the Headquarters of Task Force 4, - 67 Armor, Camp Colt, Bosnia-Herzegovina, on 16 September. It was flown in honor of you on your seventh birthday. Keep it and honor it always.

Love, DAD