A call for courage AND action!!

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JULY NEWSLETTER

CALL FOR COURAGE

We have just celebrated the 4th of July. The 231st anniversary of the day our fore-fathers gathered their courage and signed the Declaration of Independence. Picture what ran through their minds that day. They knew that there would be war. Young men would die. People would lose their homes - perhaps even everything they have. Alone, each one of them may not have been successful in launching our country's fight for independence. Together their pens were mighty indeed.

We too are asked to gather our courage and speak out for our Troops, the completion of their mission, and the security of our country and our freedoms. Many of us feel that we do not have the courage to speak out. Many of us feel the words won't come. I was reminded of how we learn courage this past week...4th of July found me at the lake. I worked with a young boy who was afraid of the water. He had on his life jacket and had a couple of the buoyancy noodles. He was very frightened and yet as the afternoon went by he relaxed as he became accustomed to the feeling of floating in the water and the security of the life jack et. I was also reminded of how we teach our children to be brave. I watched a father encourage his daughter to jump off the dock into his arms, promising her to catch her. She was very tentative the first few times. By the end of the afternoon she was willingly jumping into the lake.

Months after Michael laid down his life in Iraq for our country and his buds, I realized that he learned that courage from his parents, family and friends. I also realized that I could take back that courage and speak out. This has never been my forte' and so to voice my opinion on a national level is using every ounce of courage that I can muster. I realized that if I was speaking out in support of my son and his buds and what they believe in, that I could do it! I know that you can do it too!

We need each and every one of our members to muster their courage and make phone calls, write and speak out...and we need you to do it today. We need you to contact your congressional leaders and remind them why the men and women of our military serve our country and that we must support them in their efforts to defend it against all enemies.

Today is your day for courage - pick up that phone and call.

This link will connect you direct to the Senate and House of Representatives membership lists.

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I would like to share with you an email I received from Vets for Freedom.

The next ten weeks will be absolutely crucial in determining the fate of the Iraq War. Over the summer, Democrats (and some Republicans) on Capitol Hill, pressured by radical anti-war activists, plan to introduce legislation to undermine the mission in Iraq, just as General Petraeus, and his counter-insurgency strategy, are showing real signs of progress.

Despite the great courage and success of our troops in Iraq , many Senate Republicans are wavering in their support for the mission. And in the past two weeks alone, 3 Republican senators have raised the white flag on Iraq . If just a few more de fect, the Senate could over-ride a presidential veto and set a deadline for defeat.

Amongst this political noise, in ten weeks General Petraeus will testify before Congress about the situation in Iraq . Vets for Freedom plans to lead the charge to support General Petraeus and stop anti-war radicals and politicians on Capitol Hill from undermining the troops-and their mission-for the sake of short-term political gain.

If you believe America must defeat radical Islamists in Iraq , we need you to get involved with Vets for Freedom's "Ten Weeks to Testimony< /SPAN>." For the next ten weeks, you will receive an email every Monday morning, outlining how you can make a difference during that week. This is a call to duty! The time for action is now!

And if you're not sure if you should get involved, check out what radical anti-war groups are planning. They go so far as to "express solidarity with the resistance movements in [ Iraq and Afghanistan ]." This is an outrage, and we mustn't let groups like this-and their loud voices-intimidate Congress. There is too much as stake!

What You Can Do This Week!

Week #1: Call 10 Senators

Below is a list of 9 Republican Senators who-this week-could end up wavering on their support for the mission in Iraq . Over the course of the week, call all 9 senators-and call at least one senator from your home-state. Thes e senators need to hear from Iraq & Afghanistan veterans, and those who support them, about the need to complete the mission in Iraq and defeat Al Qaeda & Co. When you call, the following 3 points should be emphasized:

1. <LI class=MsoNormal>General Petraeus deserves enough time to implement a winning counter-insurgency strategy in Iraq .<LI class=MsoNormal>Retreat means a failed state in Iraq and a safe haven for Al Qaeda to plan future attacks against America and her allies.
2. Decisions about Iraq should be made by military commanders and generals on the ground-not politicians in Washington , DC .

For more tips and information about what to say when you call, please read the "Call Tips" section at the end of this email. We have provided a word-for-word script.

Here is the list of Republican senators to call:
01)
02)
03)
04)
05)
06)
07)
08)
09)
Lamar Alexander
Sam Brownback
Saxby Chambliss
Norm Coleman
Susan Collins
Michael Enzi
Jeff Sessions
Ted Stevens
John Sununu
( Tennessee )
( Kansas )
( Georgia )
( Minnesota )
( Maine )
( Wyoming )
( Alabama )
( Alaska )
( New Hampshire )
(202) 224-4944
(202) 224-6521
(202) 224-3521
(202) 224-5641
(202) 224-2523
(202) 224-3424
(202) 224-4124
(202) 224-3004
(202) 224-2841
10) Your Senator [Follow this link for a directory of all U.S. Senators]

* When you're done with the calls, just shoot a quick email to info@vetsforfreedom .org and let us know. We will compile the volume of calls and make sure our presence is heard. If you had any particularly interesting exchanges, we'd love to hear about it.

* Remember: 10 calls will take less than 30 minutes. Please do your duty for the country today!

Additional Vets for Freedom Information

1) Visit www.VetsforFreedom. org and check out the new website format. We have added the "Freedom Update" to the homepage, which lists daily the Top 5 articles (news and opinion) about the Iraq war. I hope you'll consider making this site your first stop every morning, as we make it our mission to keep you informed.

2) If you are a veteran of Iraq or Afghanistan , and would like to get more involved, there will be a number of opportunities to do so in the next few weeks. If we can count you in NOW as a regular participant, send an email to veteran@vetsforfree dom.org; and if you're not an Iraq or Afghanistan war vet, but would still like to volunteer, send an email to volunteer@vetsforfr eedom.org.

3) Spread the word! Tell your friends and family about Vets for Freedom and tell them to sign up at www.vetsforfreedom. org/volunteer.

Finally, as of Monday, July 9th, I will be working full-time as the Vets for Freedom Executive Director. If you have any suggestions, do not hesitate to contact me direct ly. My email is pete@vetsforfreedom .org.

God bless you-and this great county.

Regards,


Pete Hegseth
Executive Director, Vets for Freedom
Iraq War Veteran

Call Tips

When you call the senators, a few important things to remember:

• <LI class=MsoNormal>Always be courteous. The person answering the phone is likely a young staffer. <LI class=MsoNormal>If you are calling a Senator who represents your home state, say "I am from [City, State] and am a member of Vets for Freedom. I recently returned from Iraq [or insert relevant experience] and I respectfully request to speak with Senator [name]." When they ask to take a message, say "I'm calling to ask Senator [name] not to support a deadline for withdrawal from Iraq . Because [cite three reasons above]... Please pass along this message to the Senator." <LI class=MsoNormal>If you are calling a Senator who is not from your state, say "I am a veteran of the Iraq War [or insert relevant experience] who served with [insert unit] in [insert location] from [insert dates]. I am a member of Vets for Freedom and I'm calling to ask Senator [name] not to support a deadline for withdrawal from Iraq . Because [cite three reasons above]... Please pass along this message to the Senator."
• In the future, we will be asking Vets for Freedom veterans to request personal meeting with Senators and Representative both in their home districts and on Capitol Hill, so make sure you get the relevant contact information from the person you're speaking with so you can follow up.

© 2007 Paid for by Vets for Freedom
PO Box 314
Woodstock , VA 22664

www.vetsforfreedom. org

LAUNCH EVENTS


Families United will host a luncheon/dinner for our chapters in Ohio and Pennsylvania on Saturday, July 21st (Other states to follow). This will be an opportunity to reunite and reenergize our efforts for the remainder of 2007 and beyond. Please join John Ellsworth and Merrilee Carlson for these important events if you can.

Ohio

DATE: Saturday, July 21, 2007
TIME: 1:00pm
LOCATION: The Columbus a Renaissance Hotel
50 North 3rd St .
Columbus , Ohio 43215
HOST: John Ellsworth, father of Marine Lance Corporal Justin M. Ellsworth

Menu:

Salad:
Marinated button mushroom salad with spinach
Roasted grilled vegetables with balsamic reduction
Cranberry and wild rice salad with green apple

Entrées:
Chilled herb roasted chicken breast to order with pesto mayo
Roasted parmsean crusted sirloin carved to order with horseradish mustard
Mustard rubbed salmon fillet carved to order with sweet mustard

Dessert:
Chef's selection of desserts


Please RSVP by July 16th to:

Mary Buckley
mary@familiesunited mission.com





Pennsylvania

DATE: Saturday, July 21, 2007
TIME: 6:00pm
LOCATION: Haydn's on Pine
215 Pine Street
Harrisburg , PA 17101
HOST: Merrilee Carlson, Shrek's Mom
Army Sergeant Michael Carlson


Menu:

Salad:
Caesar Salad with Garlic Croutons and Parmesan Cheese * Baby Spinach with Toasted Walnuts and Blue Cheese with Strawberry Vinaigrette

Entrées:
Breast of Chicken with a fresh Tomato Bruschetta Topping and Parmesan Cheese
Grilled Filet of Salmon topped with Lemon Butter and Fresh Herb Sauce

Dessert:
Assorted Display of Chef's Choice of Cakes, Pies, and Cookies

Please RSVP by July 16th to:

Mary Buckley
mary@familiesunited mission.com