SANDPOINT — When a letter written by a Sandpoint High School student was read on the Inland Northwest Honor Flight last fall, the plane was dead silent as every veteran present was moved by the words.

The original recipient of the letter, United States Marine Corps and Korean War veteran Marvin Satuloff of Coeur d’Alene, honored that student Thursday during a small ceremony in the SHS library.

Sophomore Ignacio Padilla wrote the letter last year in SHS instructor John Nitcy's Honor Flight Club and was surprised and delighted to be honored by Satuloff Thursday.

"I was really happy to learn that it was actually passed out to everyone and that it was meaningful," Padilla said.

Not only was the letter passed around by the veterans on the flight, it was read over the plane's loudspeaker.

"It was incredible," Satuloff said. "I hadn't thought about Korea in probably 60 years before I went on the Honor Flight, and then Ignacio wrote that and we had it read on the airplane microphone, and everybody wanted a copy of it. Seeing all of the memorials on the Honor Flight and then getting that from him — it was really something."

Satuloff was joined by friends and family at the ceremony, including his wife Starlene Satuloff and his Honor Flight Guardian, Bruce Hunt, among others. Hunt is a U.S. Army veteran and 32-year law enforcement veteran. Nitcy's class, for that class period, was in attendance as well during the ceremony, which was held in the SHS library just after 2 p.m.

Hunt said it is like a mail call in the Army when the envelopes are passed out to the Honor Flight veterans on the return trip from Washington, D.C.

"They handed out letters, like that one," Hunt said, pointing at a letter that had since been framed.

But, before Padilla was called to the front and told it was his letter in the frame, Satuloff was honored for his service in the Marines from 1953-1957 as a radio radar technician.

To honor Satuloff, Gunnery Sgt. Gilbert Castill from the Marine Corps recruiting office in Hayden presented him with a shadow box filled with items from his career, including his original dog tags, patch and more.

"It takes a special caliber of individual to serve in the Armed Forces of the United States," Castill said. "... I know the burden of sacrifice that all veterans, not just Marines, but all veterans endure and put their families through when they are fully deployed.

After spending time in Afghanistan and Iraq, Castill said he can relate to those challenges.

Afterward, Hunt called Padilla to the front of the room where he was asked to read his letter. Padilla, who aspires to be a nurse in the Marine Corps, went on to read the words he wrote, which after a brief introduction, contained the following poem:

"Blood, sweat and tears. You have seen this scene so I could be seen. You saw death so I could see life. You saw ashes so I could see fireworks. You cried tears so I could cry tears of joy. You sacrificed your life so I could have mine. You are the blood, sweat and tears. You are America and you will never be forgotten, and you will be known as the greatest heroes who ever lived."

When the letter was passed around on the plane, Hunt said, as it made its way to the front, Satuloff had told him, "I don't want that to get lost."

"That plane was silent," Hunt said, describing the scene as the letter was read on Honor Flight. "You could hear a pin drop. It was like the engines had even quieted down on the plane."

Satuloff then presented Padilla with a Marine Corps hat containing two names — those of Satuloff and Hunt. Hunt also presented him with a hat from his branch of the military, the Army, and a blue, Honor Flight Guardian T-shirt. Finally, Padilla was presented with a shadow box of his own, containing small plaques with Satuloff and Hunt's names, as well as a Marine Corps challenge coin and a U.S. Army challenge coin.

Before departing, Hunt gave the students in the room a bit of advice. When they see a veteran or uniformed service member, walk up to them, shake their hand and say, "thank you for serving."

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.