Each Memorial Day and Veterans Day, many of us take time to recognize the sacrifices of those men and women who have served in uniform.

But around the country, these solemn holidays often end up meaning little more than a chance to buy things on sale.

Yesterday I did an event with Jill Biden for a non-partisan, non-profit group called Beyond Tribute that's launching a campaign this Memorial Day to convince stores to donate a portion of their holiday promotion proceeds to medical treatment and family support for veterans. By Veterans Day, we hope to be able to raise significant money for veterans in need from the very businesses that usually capitalize on these solemn holidays.

But before businesses will sign on, they need to see that people are committed to truly honoring, and actually helping, former service members.

Sign the Memorial Day pledge to shop at Beyond Tribute business partners today and together we can do a lot of good for some people who really need it.

When I was on active duty as a four-star general in the U.S. Army, the soldiers I commanded were serving me, and they were serving the President.

But above all, they were serving America -- all of us.

So we all owe them a debt of gratitude, especially the troops who have sacrificed their health and well-being in the line of duty.

By signing the pledge to shop at Beyond Tribute businesses during the veterans national holidays, you're doing more than making your own personal commitment to help. You're also showing businesses that their customers will reward them if they do the right thing.

Sign the pledge now.

Anyone who has served, or has a loved one who's served, knows how important this help is.

That's why people like Walter Cronkite, philanthropist Jerome Kohlberg, and Kim Cattrall (Sex and the City's Samantha) have joined Beyond Tribute with me and pledged to do their shopping at participating businesses, too.

Join us in signing the pledge to do your Veterans Day shopping at Beyond Tribute businesses, then ask your friends and family to sign the pledge, too.

The troops we honor are real people, many of whom have very real injuries. They and their families need our help to get back on their feet. This is something we can all do that will really help them.

Sincerely,

Wes Clark

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Thanks to a good friend of mine, Stan Davis, for posting the info on this over at WesPAC’s CCN blogs - General Wesley Clark’s site - …you’ll see a new banner ad to help veterans in the upper left of the home page here, right under the “Login” link. The “Larry” Stan mentions, is Larry Huynh, who, along with Brent Blackaby make up the amazing principles at Blackrock Associates - easily one of the best companies out there at online marketing for political campaigns!

Please do all you can to help! You can start by linking to this post, and by going over to BeyondTribute and grabbing a banner ad to place on your site. Click here to get one, or a bunch.

P.S. - if you need a smaller banner, for narrower blog theme sidebars, feel free to use the snippet below until BeyondTribute has a chance to post more ad sizes. Note: Only the image source link has changed - please DO NOT change the link to BeyondTribute.org:

<a href=”http://www.beyondtribute.org/” title=”Beyond Tribute: Let’s help vets. Memorial Day 2009.” _target=”_beyond”><img src=”http://deadmessengers.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/beyondtribute_webad_150×125.jpg”><a>

Thanks to Larry for the heads-up.http://beyondtribute.org/index.php
Gen. Clark is on the “honorary board of directors.”http://beyondtribute.org/about_us/advisors.php

The pledge is to patronize BeyondTribute businesses for Memorial Day weekend.

See an article about BeyondTribute here.Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
Wes Clark: “We’re no better than our own sense of humility.”

General Wesley Clark on PBS's NewsHour with Jim Lehrer

May 12, 2009

JIM LEHRER: Next tonight, the command shake-up in Afghanistan raises the "What kind of Army?" question, and to Ray Suarez.

RAY SUAREZ: Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he needed new thinking and new approaches from the military when he shuffled Army commanders yesterday in Afghanistan.

Out was General David McKiernan, a one-time tank officer who headed the ground forces during the 2003 Iraq invasion. In were two generals with careers in counterinsurgency warfare, Stanley McChrystal and David Rodriguez.

But as far back as 2007, Gates told the Army it faced new challenges. "Current and future conflicts," he said, "will be fundamentally political in nature and require the application of all elements of national power."

He added, "The Army must learn how to incorporate the latest in technology without losing sight of the human and cultural dimensions of the irregular battlefield."

For more on the Army and its new wars, we turn to two retired generals. Wesley Clark was NATO commander during the Kosovo War in 1999. Like General Clark, Dan Christman began his Army career as a platoon leader in Vietnam. His final post was superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

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General Wesley Clark on Fox News
May 6, 2009

General Clark discusses California's newly adopted low-carbon fuel standard.

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Just in from Clarkvolunteers.com… 

Hi again -  

Ya know?  If General Clark would just quit inspiring people, we could keep wonderful examples of humanity (insert sarcasm) like Dean Heller in office forever!  But nooooooo…instead we get people like Cindy who are honest, smart, compassionate, straight forward, don’t suffer fools easily, hard-working, ethical, and make the energizer bunny look like a slacker.

Well, Cindy’s made it official - she’s running for U.S. Congress in Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District.  Take a look at her great campaign kick-off videos…where she explains how General Clark has been, and continues to be, a major force of inspiration for her, and a primary reason for her decision to oust Dean Heller.  (Thanks Wes!!)

After you watch the videos, here’s what I’d like you to do - show the DCCC how fast small donations from people like us build up, and make a real difference.  I’m asking everyone who receives this email to donate $1  to  $5  to Cindy’s campaign this week.   The please forward this email to everyone you know and ask them to do the same.  Cindy’s ActBlue page address is: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/21954

Thanks a million!

Kelly

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CFiZ6SNXuM  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQHrFnnDSu4 

Here’s a hint:  Rove lost

General Wesley Clark, Karl Rove faceoff at Univ. of Buffalo (Video)

Debate date: September 26, 2008 | Transcript by RegNYC

Article excerpts from The Buffalo News | Jay Rey | NEWS STAFF REPORTER

It wasn’t Obama-McCain, but Western New York had a pretty good debate of its own Friday night at the University at Buffalo. On one side was Karl Rove, Republican strategist and former White House deputy chief of staff.

On the other side was retired Army Gen. Wesley K. Clark, who had sought the Democratic Party’s nomination in 2004.

The two launched this year’s Distinguished Speakers Series in Alumni Arena with a bang, by debating some of the same contentious issues the presidential candidates faced, such as the economy, a $700 billion government bailout, health care and the war in Iraq.

Each started with five minutes for opening comments on his party’s slant.

“We are blessed to be citizens of this country,” Rove said. “There is something called the American Dream and people around the world want to share in it. Never lose sight this is the greatest country in the history of the world.”

“We’re a nation in trouble,” Clark said. “We need new ideas, and we need new leadership for America.”

For Links to the Video of the Debate click the “read more” link below, then scroll to the bottom of that page.  Well worth watching!

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