Guest post by Justin Goldsborough
A Few Good Men is my favorite movie. I know it’s just a movie, but there’s a line in it by Demi Moore that comes to mind without fail around Veterans Day each year.
Kevin Pollack’s character asks Demi Moore why she likes the two marines they’re defending so much. Her response is one I always feel in my gut:
Because they stand up on a wall and say, “Nothing’s going to hurt you tonight, not on my watch.”
No matter what you think of the movie, the point is one that cannot be denied. That’s why working with our client, the VFW Foundation (VFWF), and our partners, Why We Celebrate, to Return the Favor to troops this November felt so right.
The VFWF has helped more than 1.5 million military families in the past year with financial assistance, free call days for soldiers overseas, and help with disability and benefit claims.
Why We Celebrate is an online, grassroots community started by Heather and Mike Whaling on Independence Day of this year to raises awareness about the sacrifices our troops make on a daily basis that allow us to celebrate holidays like the 4th of July.
We can never properly thank our troops and veterans for all they do to keep us safe. But we can take a few minutes to come together and say thank you.
Thank you for doing something I’m not sure that I could do.
Thank you for spending days, months and years away from your family so that I’m able to spend most days with mine.
Thank you for standing guard at night so I know everything is going to be ok.
Thank you for dealing with bombs and bullets while I write blog posts and business pitches.
Thank you for doing what you think is right and not asking for anything in return.
The VFW Foundation and Why We Celebrate hope you’ll join us in saying thank you to our troops this November. It’s a little gesture that we hope goes a long way and we’re quite certain they’ve earned it.
Here’s how you can help:
Prepare a video, blog post, picture or even a tweet to share on the multimedia thank you note wall sometime over the next week
Share the campaign with your network and ask them to help Return the Favor to our troops.
Suggested tweet: Join the effort to help @VFWFoundation #ReturntheFavor to our troops this November http://tiny.cc/RTF2 #WhyWeCelebrate
Suggested Facebook post: Want to say thanks to our veterans and troops? Help support our troops and their families by returning the favor. Share your words of support through the @VFW Foundation’s thank you note wall to let our military members know their service is appreciated. http://tiny.cc/RTF2
Justin Goldsborough specializes in digital strategy and education at Fleishman-Hillard, Kansas City, and is in his fifth year on the Kansas City IABC board, where he serves as president for the 2010 board year. Justin is a huge Bon Jovi fan and once won third place in a karaoke contest at Chicago’s John Barleycorn’s with a rousing rendition of “Livin’ on a Prayer.” He’s also a diehard Kansas City Royals fan, so go easy when talking baseball.
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To someone who knows the truth Eagle and the National BOD.
1. R.I.CVMA Chapter 9-1 refused membership to a qualified Vietnam Veteran.
2. Three fellow Vietnam Veterans were removed from the R.I.CVMA Chapter 9-1 for defending the Vietnam Veteran that was removed.
All of you can say anything that you want but it can not and will not change the truth R.I.CVMA Chapter 9-1 removed a total of 3 Vietnam Veterans, one loyal support member and refused a qualfied Vietnam Veteran membership in the R.I.CVMA Chapter 9-1. All of the above is the truth. All that has happened is a great cover up to make the CVMA look like heros and discredit the few Vietnam Veterans that stood up what was right.
Yes Eagle, Mudcat and all you high and mighty National BOD members are wrong for sticking your head in the sand letting this go down the way it did.
These few Vietnam Veterans are still here What will be your next move I wonder?
OH Yes I know more lies.
To the one that knows the truth tell the story again and lets see if it is the same?
The truth is the R.I.CVMA Chapter 9-1 refused a qualified Vietnam Veteran membership.
Hey Cousin Vinney lets hear the truth about the patch removing incident at Operation Stand Down? We need to hear the truth about that one. You know that you caused a lot of crap. Are you campaigning to be the next Sate Rep? Look out Mike he is after your job!!!!!!!.
Eagle it is never too late to make things right. Removing the Vietnam Veterans involved is wrong no matter how you spin the true story. Reinstate the members and let the denied Veteran be a member. Be a Veteran helping Veterans instead of a dictator. Mudcat told the National BOD only one side of the story. I hope that you will look into the appeal request put forth by the removed Vietnam Veterans. You need to hear both sides of the truth. The story that has been told by the Vietnam Veterans defending another Vietnam Veteran is still the same CVMA Chapter 9-1 refused the membership of a qualified Vietnam Veteran.
[…] about why the VFW Foundation and Why We Celebrate have launched the Return the Favor campaign, from Waxing […]
I second the comments from Heather and Justin — thank you for sharing this, Shonali! I can’t wait to see how many people say thank you to our troops (past and present) in their own way.
Always my pleasure, Mike. It made me think long and hard about the vets in my own family (well, both my family as well as my husband’s), and I will be writing more about that soon. Thank you again for starting this.
[…] More: Veterans Day: Return the Favor | Waxing UnLyrical […]
Hey sarge, How about the chapter commander ( cappa shito ) who is a nam vet who never wanted to hear the truth of the whole matter and sided with the lying stat rep. ( delmessy ) Prospecting veterans who wanted to join is a national by-laws no- no. But in ri they make up there own by-laws and deny any vet membership who will not fit into there little mold of puppets.
Shonali, really appreciate the chance to share with your community this opportunity to thank our troops who give so much. A small way we can all come together to deliver a big message to military families this November.
Cheers,
Justin
My pleasure, Justin, I really appreciate you doing this.
The R.I. Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, Chapter 9-1 has a great way of celebrating Veterans Day. They just threw three Vietnam Veterans out of their chapter because they stood up for another Vietnam combat veteran who the R.I. CVMA and its national pres denied membership to. Somethings never change and judging the Vietnam vets is one of them …….
I think that’s the beauty of this project. We realize that *all* veterans have made enormous sacrifices for this country, and we can never truly repay them. But, our hope is that this month-long Veterans Day campaign will help show active-duty and retired military personnel that we sincerely appreciate their sacrifices.
Heather
@prTini
#WhyWeCelebrate co-founder
Shonali, thanks for the opportunity to share this campaign with your readers. Really appreciate it!
Heather
@prTini
#WhyWeCelebrate co-founder
Thank YOU, Heather, Justin and Mike for doing this!
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Gini Dietrich, j.d. kimple. j.d. kimple said: RT @ginidietrich: Really thoughtful and inspiring piece about our troops from @jgoldsborough on @shonali's blog http://j.mp/9GGwQC […]