16 1/2 x 10 1/2 ® PO Box 96440 Washington, DC 20090-6440 Volume 68 H October 2018 Providing Emergency Aid to Severely Disabled War on Terror Veterans and their Families Give NOW to Help Disabled War on Terror Veterans It is an honor to have served This Holiday Season! our nation but the true heroes “ n many parts of the country -- heroes -- and early planning and are the ones who provide “ like here in Virginia, at Coalition preparation are critical to their success. help when it is needed; such headquarters -- it feels like we’re as your organization and I So I hope your generosity will be just getting into the swing of fall. The your donors. inspired by your donor-exclusive Road trees are losing their leaves, the weather to Recovery Report, and that you’ll give is getting cooler, and kids are back — Disabled veteran what you can to help us prepare for to school. Thanksgiving and Christmas. We’re Frederick M. So it may be hard to believe, but counting on you to help make sure here at the Coalition, we’re already we don’t have to turn away even one hard at work preparing for the severely disabled veteran who asks us holidays! Our annual Thanksgiving for help putting a hot Thanksgiving meal and Christmas campaigns brighten the on the table … or Christmas presents holidays for America’s brave disabled under the tree. Inside Your Road to Recovery Report: Letter from President David Walker Combatting The Veteran Suicide Epidemic Your Generosity at Work page 2 page 5 page 7 How Your Gifts Help Feed Hungry Salute to a Special Hero: SSG Paul Relief and Gratitude from Disabled Veteran Families (and Other News) Brondhaver, U.S. Army (Ret.) Veterans Who Thank You page 4 page 6 page 8 1238N-NW Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes H PO Box 96440 H Washington, DC 20090-6440 H www.saluteheroes.org H 1-888-447-2588 Letter from President David Walker Board of Directors Tom Sircher* Chairman of the Board Command Master Chief Stephen Page* U.S. Air Force (Ret.) Vice Chair Bruce Kelly* Secretary and Treasurer Lieutenant Colonel Thomas J. Orlowski* U.S. Army (Ret.) Dear Friend of Our Wounded Heroes, David W. Walker President & Chief Executive Officer This upcoming Veterans Day we pause to honor the brave men and women Matthew Cary* Director who paid a terrible price – and those who continue to pay that price – for our Colonel Charles Bogle* freedoms. In a just world freedom would be a natural right enjoyed by everyone, but U.S. Army (Ret.) we do not live in a just world; we live in this one. Director *Independent Voting Board Member Against a dark wave of terror, we stand behind a thin line of heroes in Ambassador Corps uniform – soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen – and some not in uniform in Major General John K. Singlaub the clandestine services. When they pause from the struggle, they must find it U.S. Army (Ret.) discouraging to read about dissension on the home front – of citizens of a democracy Chairman who have forgotten how to compromise and lost respect for the opinions of others. Colonel Evan G. Miller U.S. Army (Ret.) It is surely hard enough to put your life on the line for a viable form of government Sgt. First Class Dana Bowman that has inspired free people down through the ages. It must be infinitely more U.S. Army (Ret.) difficult to fight for a seemingly endless squabble about petty differences of opinion, David Wetherell exacerbated by extremist news organizations that make no pretense of impartiality. U.S. Army (Ret.) Staff Sergeant J.D. Williams Against that shameful backdrop, this sacred day offers us all an opportunity U.S. Army (Ret.) to reflect on what is going on in this country and our own acquiescence to it. The Master Sergeant Leroy Petry U.S. Army (Ret.) brave, mostly young, men and women carrying the battle have a better sense than we Medal of Honor recipient do about the true cost of freedom and the sacrifices it demands. If they could speak Senior Airman Daniel Acosta with one voice, they would say to the American people: “Knock it off!” USAF (Ret.) Jack Scalia We are in a life and death struggle for our most vital values and our way of Bonnie S. Tyrrell life, and there is no guarantee we will prevail. Indeed, if we cannot get back to Jimmy Gunn our basic values of comity and respect for dissent, we will not prevail, and do not Jeff Senour deserve to prevail. Field Management Team So this Veterans Day, let us remember what our veterans fought for – and what Donny Daughenbaugh U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.) we are fighting for. And let us not forget our youngest veterans – those who came Vice President, Field Operations home from the global War on Terror with missing limbs or shattered psyches, only Mary Jessie Herrera to face a new struggle to survive. U.S. Army (Ret.) Field Representative, West I’m so grateful for the support of generous and patriotic friends like you – Jorge De Leon U.S. Army (Ret.) who show your gratitude this Veterans Day, not with platitudes or empty words, National Spokesperson but through your generous and meaningful support of the Coalition and America’s Shilo Harris suffering disabled War on Terror veterans. U.S. Army (Ret.) National Spokesperson With gratitude, Colonel Martin L. Badegian U.S. Army Reserve (Ret.) Special Projects Officer David W. Walker President & CEO ® ® 2 Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes — Over a Decade of Service to Our War on Terror Heroes Your Coalition in Action From Easter to Christmas and Every Day in Between, Your Generosity Is Helping Severely Disabled Veterans! $500 Christmas Gift Checks Spread Holiday Cheer We were both caught off ur Secret Santa and Christmas “extras” like Christmas gifts ... even guard when a check [from the Angel Projects provide those with small children. “Coalition] appeared in our O$500 gift checks for As a faithful and patriotic mailbox for $500 right before Christmas presents to heroes who Coalition friend, I know you can’t Christmas. We had not bought were maimed, burned, blinded, stand the thought of little ones being any gifts, that money“ literally paralyzed, or suffered other severe heartbroken on Christmas morning saved us from becoming homeless injuries fighting Muslim extremists in because their wounded parent and even allowed us to buy some the global War on Terror. couldn’t afford gifts from Santa. gifts for our granddaughter who The severely disabled veterans is 4 years old. So watch your mailbox in the your giving supports are financially coming weeks for updates on how — Disabled veteran Matt I. stretched thin. They’re struggling just you can help a disabled hero make to keep their home, pay the electric sure his child doesn’t wake up bill, and put food on the table – and Christmas morning with nothing they certainly don’t have money for under the tree. Feeding Severely Disabled Veterans and Their Families ur Holiday Meals Projects a special way you can tell a severely provide thousands of severely disabled veteran you’re grateful for his Owounded troops with $60 or her sacrifice – brightening the holidays each so their families – who have also for a family who might otherwise made tremendous sacrifices in support go hungry. of their veteran – can enjoy a special We’re already preparing for what holiday meal. I’m sure will be another successful As a faithful Coalition supporter, Thanksgiving Meals drive. Stay you know our disabled veterans are tuned in upcoming months to read struggling to put any food on the table, stories of the military families your let alone a festive holiday meal with all generosity helped! the trimmings. Our meals projects are Your Emergency Aid Gift Helps Rescue Struggling Heroes from Hunger & Homelessness he Coalition’s Emergency disability check … spelling disaster foreclosure, put food on the table, Financial Aid program is at for wounded warriors who are unable or repair the car that gets him to his Tthe heart of our mission to to work – especially when a spouse doctor’s appointments. Sometimes she provide immediate, practical help has to leave his or her job to become a will use it for medical bills; sometimes to financially struggling, severely full time caregiver. he will pay overdue utility bills. But disabled War on Terror veterans. Your gift to the Emergency no matter the emergency, your gift A shocking number of disabled Financial Aid program has had a will drastically change the life of a troops and veterans wait an average tremendous impact on the lives of wounded hero who might otherwise of 10 months (and often much longer) these heroes and their families. It may go homeless, hungry, or suffer another to receive their first government help a severely disabled veteran avoid frightening hardship. The Road to Recovery Report 3 Your Coalition in Action Hungry Veteran Families Fed, Thanks to You! n June, the Coalition successfully partnered with the Washington DC VA Medical Center, Feed the Children, America’s Adopt-A-Solider, Amazon IFresh and local volunteers for our 2nd Annual food truck event. The groups joined forces to feed 400 homeless and at-risk veterans in the DC metro area. Lunch was generously donated by Hill Country BBQ to the entire staff, volunteers and veteran participants. Thanks to AmazonFresh and Feed the Children for Boxes and bags of food piled high to help donating all the much-needed food. Please contact us at 1-888-447-2588 to find hungry Washington, DC, veteran families.