Miami Beach wants strangers to write to veterans this week, and it is using Badger, a platform developed by Miami Beach Marine veteran Alex Kruger-Dobrota, to make that easy. The city, VFW Post 3559 and The Betsy hotel have launched a campaign called Letters of Gratitude, inviting anyone to upload a photo of a handwritten letter or record a short video of thanks that can reach a veteran from anywhere, with some of those messages set to glow on a Miami Beach skybridge each night leading up to Veterans Day.
The program is powered by Badger, a platform developed by Alex Kruger-Dobrota, a Miami Beach Marine veteran, according to the seed facts behind this report drawn from Miami's Community News. Kruger-Dobrota said Letters of Gratitude connects people through shared experiences, and per the same outlet's reporting, he hopes it eventually grows into an annual national program. He has described drawing on his own deployment for the idea, recalling uplifting letters he received from the K-8 school where his mother served as principal during his tour in Afghanistan.
A CBS Miami profile identifies Kruger-Dobrota as Senior Vice Commander of Miami Beach VFW Post 3559 and reports that he launched a company behind Badger: Operation Gamify, a social app built around mission-based challenges designed to foster community. The VFW Department of Florida is also expanding the initiative's reach, hosting the live feed for posts across the state representing its 54,000 combat veteran members, per the seed reporting.
How and When to Take Part
The public can view or upload a live Letters of Gratitude feed, along with gratitude videos or images of handwritten letters, at miamibeachfl.gov/america250 between Nov. 2 and Nov. 10, according to the seed facts. City officials describe the campaign as open to anyone, with organizers expecting many submissions from local schoolchildren and families. Mayor Steven Meiner said the initiative honors the courage and sacrifice of military personnel and reminds people that freedom carries a debt of gratitude.
The campaign unfolds against the backdrop of the United States marking 250 years of independence this year, according to the seed reporting. Some of the electronic messages and gratitude videos submitted through the campaign are planned for projection on The Betsy Orb, a spherical skybridge connecting The Betsy to the former Carlton Hotel, each evening ahead of Veterans Day.
Conflicting Reports on Orb and Film Times
Exactly when those projections will run depends on which source you check. The seed reporting from Miami's Community News states the Orb projections will run from 6:40 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Nov. 7, and from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. from Nov. 8 through Nov. 10. But Soul of Miami lists the installation running Nov. 7 through Nov. 10, nightly from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., with illumination beginning at 9 p.m. Soul of Miami describes the Orb as transmitting citizen-prepared letters and poetry honoring veterans and their families.
A companion documentary, Nothing Can Be Done, But Something Can Be Said, uses poetry and World War II-era letters to reflect on wartime sacrifice, family and remembrance, according to the seed facts. It was created in partnership with the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus and draws on the legacy of Hyam Plutzik, a World War II veteran, soldier-poet and three-time Pulitzer Prize finalist. Soul of Miami reports the film explores Miami Beach's own role as a World War II staging ground and training hub for more than 500,000 soldiers.
Screening times for the documentary also diverge between sources. The seed reporting says The Betsy will host two public screenings at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Nov. 7, while Soul of Miami reports continuous showings from noon to 9 p.m. on both Nov. 7 and Nov. 8. Given the discrepancies across both the Orb schedule and the film showings, anyone planning to attend should confirm current times directly with organizers before heading out.
Bugle Calls and a Veteran's Medal Ceremony
The Letters of Gratitude event outside The Betsy Hotel at 1440 Ocean Drive is set to begin with a sunset bugler playing Retreat, according to the seed facts tied to Nov. 7. That bugle call will be broadcast simultaneously at Lincoln Road and Pennsylvania Avenue, and at 73rd Street and Ocean Terrace in North Beach, with a recording of Retreat replayed at 5:30 p.m. during subsequent evenings at all three locations.
The same evening, U.S. Air Force Col. Wesley Hales is scheduled to present Miami Beach Vietnam War veteran USAF Sgt. James E. Anderson with replacement medals at an invitation-only ceremony inside The Betsy. Anderson's original medals were lost roughly 50 years ago during his return from Da Nang, Vietnam, to his former residence in Philadelphia, per the seed reporting. He suffered debilitating injuries that compromised his lung function while serving, and this past July, he was awarded 100% disability through the combined efforts of the Bruce W. Carter VA Medical Center's VA Days program and Miami Beach VFW Post 3559.
Jackie Tam, commander of VFW Post 3559, said the medal presentation would be an emotional moment and that the organization is proud to help Anderson conclude a long-awaited chapter. Media attendees are asked to confirm attendance with the city at [email protected].
Parade Caps Off the Week
The city's Veterans Day observances culminate Nov. 11 with the 18th annual Veterans Day Parade and Celebration, which Miami Beach describes as South Florida's largest parade of the day. The parade takes place on Ocean Drive from 5th to 15th streets and features veteran and military groups, marching bands, musical and dance performances, local businesses and community organizations, according to the seed facts behind this report.
