YouTube user prtini understands that the Eleven Eleven Campaign is about Americans taking action to support our Vets. She’s uploaded a video diary to explain why she supports the Campaign. Watch it:
Will you join her in taking action and supporting our Veterans?
Share Your Story on YouTube: Follow prtini’s lead and explain to the world why you support America’s Vets and the Eleven Eleven Campaign. After you’ve uploaded your video, send us an email at info AT eleven-eleven.org with a link to your upload and we’ll add your testimony to The Eleven Eleven YouTube Channel. Or, simply tag your video 11-11 Campaign, and we’ll find it.
We have just hours to go on Veterans Day… please do all you can to continue getting the word out!
Ruth Stonesifer, President of American Gold Star Mothers — a member of the Beyond Tribute Coalition and the Eleven Eleven Campaign — writes about the true meaning of Veterans Day over at the Huffington Post:
Veterans Day was always important in my family because a number of relatives served in uniform, including my two sons who both joined the Army, one in military police criminal investigations and the other jumping out of airplanes. But it became intensely personal eight years ago last month when my youngest son, Kristofor, was killed in a helicopter crash in Pakistan. He was one of the first American soldiers to die in the war on terror, just 38 days after the 9/11 attacks.
My grief channeled itself into action and all these years later I was chosen to serve as president of the American Gold Star Mothers, an 81-year-old organization of women who have lost children in uniform. Our mission is to provide services and support to injured or ill veterans.
My journey has been an eye-opener and one of the things I see clearly is how a ritual that was once held sacred in every corner of America has lost its meaning just about everywhere. Even as our best and brightest are patrolling and dying in the deserts of Iraq and the far-off mountains of Afghanistan, at home Veterans Day means an extra sleep-in, traffic-disrupting parades, and the launch of the Christmas retail season with noisy, patriotic sales pitches, which really do nothing for those who have served our country but go a long way to increasing the retailers’ bottom lines.
So how do we return to the true spirit of Veterans Day? Ruth writes:
At the individual level, I recently heard ABC News journalist Bob Woodruff, who suffered traumatic brain injuries covering the war in Iraq, speak about helping veterans this year by urging all Americans to each donate $1 in honor of the 1.6 million men and women who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I want to raise the stakes. Let’s make it $11. Just imagine the profound impact we could have on the lives of the courageous men and woman who have volunteered to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan if 11 million of us also volunteered, in this case to each donate $11 to support them on Veterans’ Day. The incredible nature of such a collective act on Veterans’ Day, the 11th day of the 11th month, would be unprecedented in terms of raising awareness of the plight of returning veterans, particularly those who continue to suffer the invisible wounds of war, all while raising millions of dollars to ensure that these veterans get the help they need and deserve. To ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of such an “11-11 campaign,” there is already in place a grassroots coalition called Beyond Tribute that comprises eleven organizations dedicated to assisting veterans of all generations deal with the challenges of civilian life.
Thanks to everyone who joined our blogger call last night. We’ve been amazed at the willingness of people to help us spread the word about the Eleven Eleven Campaign. Every action you take makes a difference in the lives of our Vets.
Here’s what you can do right now to change the way America honors its Veterans:
Contribute $11: Text “VETS” to 85944 and reply “Yes” to the confirmation you receive. Or click on “Donate” in the widget on the upper right of this page and enter your cell phone number. Or contribute online.
Getting 11 million Americans to contribute $11 to support our Veterans is no easy task. That’s why we need the support of bloggers from around the web and across the political spectrum.
That’s why we’re inviting bloggers to join us for a special announcement call on Monday, November 9th at 8 pm Eastern/5 pm Pacific, featuring Beyond Tribute’s Executive Director Matthew Boulay, Gold Star Mother Ruth Stonesifer, Democratic political consultant Joe Trippi, and Powerline blogger John Hinderaker.
We’re in the process of making the final touches on the new Eleven Eleven microsite. Please visit Eleven-Eleven.org in the coming days, as we’ll be adding additional tools and resources to help you spread the word about our exciting campaign to change the way America honors its Veterans.
