What does O'Brien say sticks in his memory? What did he wish his dad would write in a letter?

From the text:

"What sticks to memory, often, are those odd little fragments that have no beginning and no end..."

Norman Bowker lying on his back one night, watching the stars, then whispering to me, "I'll tell you something, O'Brien. If I could have one wish, anything, I'd wish for my dad to write me a letter and say it's okay if I don't win any medals. That's all my old man talks about, nothing else. How he can't wait to see my goddamn medals."