Guys, this is a Memorial Day message from Jon Soltz, chairman and co-founder of Vote Vets, an organization of veterans, their families, and supporters, originally begun by General Wesley Clark with the intention of putting as many veterans in Congress in the '06 election as possible, so there would be SOMEONE who would actually speak for the troops in regards to this war. 

Some of you may recall that, consequently, there were somthing like more than a dozen or more Iraq and Afghanistan vets, and Vietnam vets, running as Democrats in the '06 elections.  Many of them won their races.

The Republicans only had ONE, and he was defeated.

Vote Vets has continued to stay active in ending this war. 

Recently, they sponsored three 30-second commercials featuring retired generals--two of whom had commanded troops in Iraq--which made the case that Bush did NOT listen to his generals on the ground because THEY were the generals he ignored.  The ads were aired in vulnerable Republican districts whose congresspeople and senators had backed Bush, and ran repeatedly on YouTube with thousands of hits.

You can support Vote Vets, or look into their many activities--including lobbying Congress to end this war--at http://www.votevets.org.

The message from Mr. Stoltz, an Iraq vet himself, is a reminder of the true meaning of Memorial Day:

On Monday, our nation will observe Memorial Day - a day which is incredibly solemn and sacred, especially to those of us who served our nation with military service.

For one day, VoteVets.org, and our friends at WesPAC and the National Security Network, will put politics completely aside, and stand in solidarity with the rest of our nation to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the United States.  Whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or of another party or no party at all, we are all still Americans, and on this day, we should solely be focused on honoring those who died in service.  As a progressive troops' organization, we're also asking that people not protest at Memorial Day events.  We have 364 other days to argue policy and politics, but this day belongs to the fallen and their memories.

Today, please consider making a donation to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund (http://www.fallenheroesfund.org) , which is dedicated to helping the families of those who died in service.  The Intrepid Fund has already provided $60 million in aid to families, but can only continue to do so with your support.

Above all, take a day to learn more about someone who died in defense of America.  If you're at a parade or prayer service and you see a veteran or military family member, ask him or her who they are honoring.  Learn more about that hero, so their memory can endure.  Too often, we talk about the fallen in terms of numbers.  We forget, each of those numbers were real people, with real lives, and real families.  The names on the thousands of memorials across America are more than letters etched in stone - they are lives lost with honor.  The best way we can honor those who sacrificed their lives is ensure that the memory of who they were as human beings is never forgotten.  Please, on Memorial Day, do your part to ensure their memory lives on.

Thank you for your support of our troops and veterans.

Sincerely,

Jon Soltz, Iraq War Veteran, Chairman and Co-Founder, VoteVets.org

Wes Clark