Facebook post results in handwritten apology to female veteran

CONCORD, N.C. (MEDIA GENERAL) — A sincere apology can go a long way. That’s the message from veteran Rebecca Landis Hayes after a viral post on Facebook led to a handwritten apology note.

Hayes was shopping at Harris Teeter in Concord, North Carolina, when she parked in a spot reserved for veterans.

When she returned to her car after shopping, she found a nasty note.

It read, “This parking is for Veterans, lady. Learn to read and have some respect.”

Hayes is a veteran, having served eight years in the U.S. Navy. Hayes’ response on social media went viral as she fired back at the person who left the note.

She posted a picture of the note on her Facebook page and wrote, in part, “I’m sorry that you can’t see my eight years of service in the United States Navy. I’m sorry that your narrow misogynistic world view can’t conceive of the fact that there are female veterans.”

The post has since been shared more than 12,000 times.

Hayes later wrote that she was overwhelmed by the positive responses to her post, adding she hopes her experience will help remind people that there is no one veteran type.

Just more than a week after she wrote that first Facebook post, Hayes received an apology letter.

In part it read, “I happened to come across your post on Facebook through a friend…I would like to apologize to you…I appreciate your service to this country and I highly respect military men and women.”

The person who wrote the note said they lost their cool because they’d seen so many young people park in handicapped and veteran spaces. The person who wrote the note thought they were standing up for someone. But, instead made a mistake.

Hayes told us, “It’s nice to know that people still take responsibility for their mistakes, and a sincere ‘I’m sorry’ can go a long way.”