Female Navy vet gets apology for rude 'learn to read' note

CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 21 (UPI) -- A North Carolina veteran who found a note on her car blasting her for using a veterans-only parking space shared the apology she received from the author.

U.S. Navy veteran Rebecca Hayes made national headlines last week when she posted a photo to Facebook of the note she found on her car after she parked in a spot designated for veterans outside of a Charlotte shopping center.

The note read: "This parking is for veterans, lady. Learn to read & have some respect."

Hayes said in a follow-up post Monday that she received a letter from the note's author, who saw her original post on Facebook.

The letter, which was unsigned and addressed to her office, reads:

"To the lady whose car I left a note on --

I happened to come across your post on facebook through a friend who shared your photo and status. I would like to apologize to you. I know its no excuse, but I've seen so many young people park in retired vets' spaces, along with handicap lately, and I lost my cool. I'm sorry you were the one who got the result of that angry moment. I know it was a mistake and I'm glad I saw your post. I immediately felt horrible about a situation -- where I assumed I was standing up for someone. Clearly, this was not the case. You didn't deserve that, and I hope you can accept this apology. I appreciate your service to this country and I highly respect military men and women. It was an error in judgement, and again, I'm sorry for that. Thank you for all that you've done.

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God bless."

"I wanted to let everyone know I received a much appreciated, sincere apology," Hayes wrote Monday.

"To me, this means a lot, that somebody did admit their mistake," she told the Charlotte Observer. "In today's world people make assumptions a lot. Just to say 'I'm sorry,' especially if sincere, always goes a long way."