Today IAVA is launching a massive new effort, in partnership with the Ad Council, for the friends and family members of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Watch the new television ad below, which will begin running nationwide today. And please take a minute to forward the ad to your friends and family, and help us reach our goal of 100,000 views by Mother's Day, May 10th.
We all support our troops. We may not support the war, we may not agree with anything to do with anything to do with it, but we all support our troops. They need all the support they can get. Their families need our support, and our help.
Take a few seconds, a few minutes and go to Support Your Vet and check it out, to learn what you can do. If you have a family member, friend or know of someone who needs help coming home.
Coming home is hard.. for all of them. Sometimes they don't realize how hard it is.
Showing posts with label IAVA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IAVA. Show all posts
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
Help For the IAVA
This is a copy of an email I got today. It is something that is a worthy cause and something that is worth giving $5 or $10 to in order to help these guys out. I was just at the VA hospital in Kansas City with my uncle, who is a WWII veteran. It is heartbreaking to see the number of 19 & 20 year old men and women coming in the doors, or even staying in the hospital.
We were there to see the mental health doctor, because my uncle is still fighting his war. Yes, over 60 years he is still fighting for benefits that was promised him for his service. And, so are these young people. That's why they are going to Washington, DC.
They will be fighting, too. I sat next to a guy about my age, who was a Viet Nam vet, he has been fighting for almost 30 years. Why are these men and women having to fight like this? They fight in the wars and then come home injured, physically, mentally sometimes both yet the war is never over for them, because they can't stop fighting. Our government won't give them what it said it would, what it promised them, that it would take care of them after they took care of us.
What is it going to take for us to realize these people put their lives on hold for us every day for years and ask very little in return and get very little in return. Their families sacrifice is more than most of us ever even think about. We don't even stop to think about what they go through every day. What those children give up not seeing their mommies and daddies, what those mommies and daddies give up not seeing their kids. What those wives and husbands give up not seeing their spouses.
So, yes, we are all having trouble right now, yes times are tough. But, is $5 too much to ask for what they have given up for you?? Think about that as you read this request from the IAVA.
We were there to see the mental health doctor, because my uncle is still fighting his war. Yes, over 60 years he is still fighting for benefits that was promised him for his service. And, so are these young people. That's why they are going to Washington, DC.
They will be fighting, too. I sat next to a guy about my age, who was a Viet Nam vet, he has been fighting for almost 30 years. Why are these men and women having to fight like this? They fight in the wars and then come home injured, physically, mentally sometimes both yet the war is never over for them, because they can't stop fighting. Our government won't give them what it said it would, what it promised them, that it would take care of them after they took care of us.
What is it going to take for us to realize these people put their lives on hold for us every day for years and ask very little in return and get very little in return. Their families sacrifice is more than most of us ever even think about. We don't even stop to think about what they go through every day. What those children give up not seeing their mommies and daddies, what those mommies and daddies give up not seeing their kids. What those wives and husbands give up not seeing their spouses.
So, yes, we are all having trouble right now, yes times are tough. But, is $5 too much to ask for what they have given up for you?? Think about that as you read this request from the IAVA.
Imagine struggling to pay your mortgage, keep your job and feed your family, all while serving a year-long deployment thousands of miles away.
These difficult times are taking a toll on all Americans, but troops and veterans carry an extra burden.
Today, the Senate begins debating the economic stimulus bill, and IAVA is calling on Congress to make Iraq and Afghanistan veterans a part of it.
We will work with both parties to implement our recommendations for the final bill, which include retroactive payments to help cover veterans' student loans, a plan to triple the number of outreach coordinators employed by the VA, and funding to provide job training and childcare for homeless veterans.
Investing in our nation's veterans is a smart and patriotic way to get the economy back on track. Can you help ensure our voice is heard?
Next week, we're sending veterans from across the country to meet face-to-face with members of Congress and present IAVA's legislative priorities for 2009.
If you haven't already, can you chip in $5 for a taxi ride, or $10 for a meal to help send veterans to "Storm the Hill"?
The vets will be meeting with over 125 members of Congress to talk about veterans' issues, including how the economic crisis is impacting their lives. Help make sure Congress listens. We can't do it without your support.
Thank you for continuing to stand with us.
Sincerely,
Paul
Paul Rieckhoff
Iraq Veteran
Executive Director & Founder
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA)
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Add another mess to Bush's List.
As if we didn't have enough against the Bush Administration, here comes another charge we can lay at their feet.
It has come to light that some of our returning veterans from the Indiana National Guard are suffering from bloody noses, tumors and rashes. And tragically, one soldier has already died.
The link these soldiers have is they were all part of a unit that guarded a power plant for KBR. Yes, that KBR, subsidiary of Haliburton, formerly Dick Cheney's company. KBR had this power plant in Southern Iraq and the Indiana National Guard was used as guards for the employees and the plant itself. Now, I don't know about you, but I don't know why some of the mercenary soldiers couldn't have been used for this, but instead we used National Guard.
After several months of this guard duty, the soldiers were notified that they had been exposed to hexavalent chromium, which is a known carcinogen. This is one of the same toxins that Erin Brockovich became famous for campaigning against.
CBS has run a story on this and is doing more investigating. If this is true, then KBR needs to pony up. They need to tell the truth, they need to pay the medical for these soldiers and they need to find ways to take care of these families.
Our soldiers, sailors, marines and air force do their jobs and give up so much to protect and serve their and our country every day. Their families give up a lot too. I don't mean to take away from them at all. To see this is just another example of what Bush & Co has done to them.
Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana has announced that he will reintroduce legislation to create a medical registry for military personnel exposed to toxins. That's a vital first step towards discovering the full extent of toxic exposure in Iraq and Afghanistan, and is critical to preventing a replay of the Agent Orange situation after Vietnam.
Every day we are finding other things that our troops have been exposed to. Burn pits and now power plants can be breeding grounds for toxic waste. One of the blogs I read and have been voting for is Army of Dude, and one of the things he has talked about is the filth he dealt with on a day to day basis while he was in Iraq. This week he was doing the 5 senses and how they reacted with everything.
Add your name to IAVA's petition, and tell KBR to come clean now.
Please take a minute and sign the petition and if you know someone who might be interested send it to them so they can sign up too. We need to protect our veterans and their families. They have protected us. They did their job. Now lets do ours.
Parts of this story was taken from a story in Huffington Post.
It has come to light that some of our returning veterans from the Indiana National Guard are suffering from bloody noses, tumors and rashes. And tragically, one soldier has already died.
The link these soldiers have is they were all part of a unit that guarded a power plant for KBR. Yes, that KBR, subsidiary of Haliburton, formerly Dick Cheney's company. KBR had this power plant in Southern Iraq and the Indiana National Guard was used as guards for the employees and the plant itself. Now, I don't know about you, but I don't know why some of the mercenary soldiers couldn't have been used for this, but instead we used National Guard.
After several months of this guard duty, the soldiers were notified that they had been exposed to hexavalent chromium, which is a known carcinogen. This is one of the same toxins that Erin Brockovich became famous for campaigning against.
CBS has run a story on this and is doing more investigating. If this is true, then KBR needs to pony up. They need to tell the truth, they need to pay the medical for these soldiers and they need to find ways to take care of these families.
Our soldiers, sailors, marines and air force do their jobs and give up so much to protect and serve their and our country every day. Their families give up a lot too. I don't mean to take away from them at all. To see this is just another example of what Bush & Co has done to them.
Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana has announced that he will reintroduce legislation to create a medical registry for military personnel exposed to toxins. That's a vital first step towards discovering the full extent of toxic exposure in Iraq and Afghanistan, and is critical to preventing a replay of the Agent Orange situation after Vietnam.
Every day we are finding other things that our troops have been exposed to. Burn pits and now power plants can be breeding grounds for toxic waste. One of the blogs I read and have been voting for is Army of Dude, and one of the things he has talked about is the filth he dealt with on a day to day basis while he was in Iraq. This week he was doing the 5 senses and how they reacted with everything.
Add your name to IAVA's petition, and tell KBR to come clean now.
Please take a minute and sign the petition and if you know someone who might be interested send it to them so they can sign up too. We need to protect our veterans and their families. They have protected us. They did their job. Now lets do ours.
Parts of this story was taken from a story in Huffington Post.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)