Pledges and Promises

Both presidential candidates have publicly and repeatedly made empty promises to provide for our veterans without revealing how this will be accomplished.  What is their plan?

Being a World War ll Navy veteran I have red, white and blue running through my veins and feel passionately obligated to TRY to assist 50 million veterans/troops and their military families.

At 85 I shouldn’t be a sissy, but when I see a spouse, especially with young children, that lost their husband or wife due to their service for this country, and we callously abandon her or him my heart breaks with shame, and I weep when our heroes in Afghanistan return to America to be homeless and hungry. The climbing rate of suicides amongst our military men and women is not only alarming it must end, and the sooner the better.  I am no famous war hero. I haven’t a chest full of medals. I served my country honorably for which I am grateful and proud, yet I believe I am responsible for my brothers and sisters in arms.  I don’t have a degree in medicine nor psychology to help mend the bodies and minds of those veterans and troops who are crying to be helped and cured from their dependency on alcohol and drugs to relieve their pain.

Rarely did we see during World War ll any women (other than the nurses), bearing arms with the troops, yet today almost 15% of our military are ladies who often fight like tigers in the trenches of warfare. There is an absolute shortage of beds in and out of our VA hospitals for these women warriors.  I needn’t tell you about the high percentage of these ladies who return home with mental problems which can be cured with the right professional care, concern and loving compassion.

My treasure is a long history in advertising and marketing in which I used my God given talents to influence, and persuade millions of people to buy products, services and ideas, so I am dedicated to raise “MONEY,” lot’s of money, to be used to care and treat our 50 million veterans and their families. This is not a one-shot, kiss ‘em and leave ‘em program. America has not adequately taken proper care of our Iraqi troops and we are about get a new influx of courageous men and women in 2013 who will be returning from Afghanistan.  Will Americans accept their moral obligation to care with compassion or will our apathy continue to be a blot on our souls?

I apologize for preaching to the choir, but I simply want everyone to understand what beats in my heart when most people tell me to retire, travel and enjoy the numbered days of my long life.  My preference, however is to love, and toil with a will to be of whatever assist I can muster for not only the military veteran families, but to kindle the spark of patriotism in every American to pitch in and work collectively, whether they are rich or poor, to be of help.

The plan is so simple it scares most people.  All we are trying to do is get 300 million Americans, young and old, when they shop at an authorized, participating retailer to voluntarily add two cents to their total purchase.  Two cents?  That sounds absurd, doesn’t it?  For every 1,000 transactions at a single cashier in Walmart, Walgreens, McDonalds, Starbucks, Macy’s, 7-Eleven,  Chevron, General Dollar, Subway, etc. it’s $20 a day, and  over 350 days we have raised $7,000 per cashier.  Our goal is to have 150,000 retail cashiers, all across America, and we would be the horsepower for having raised over $1 billion dollars annually to BACK-OUR-VETS. Guaranteed that 100% of every consumer donated dollar, with no fees or commissions, goes directly to those public and private organizations serving, treating and caring for our military families.  The two cents donations are not a tax, they are a voluntary hands-up to help our vets. We supplement, or possibly replace much of the Federal funds to relieve the burden on our national debt. It’s simple free enterprise using the POWER OF THE PEOPLE, (no matter if they are Democrats, Republicans, Independents, or whatever color of their skin or religious persuasion), to meet their responsibility and obligation to do their duty for those who honorably gave their time, and unfortunately for some their limbs and lives.

If all America isn’t ready, willing and able to roll-up their sleeves to BACK-OUR-VETS then we can’t wait to do our part, but will start with a program in the 12 counties which comprise the Greater Houston Metro Area and hope our success with 6.1 million people will allow us to expand across Texas, and then in every State in America. What we are currently planning to do is get the major local and national retailers to participate, and we have a similar program to enlist the banks, museums, sports arenas, major office and public buildings, colleges and universities, shopping malls, and houses of worship where they become catalysts for collecting the “MONEY,” two cents at a time to BACK-OUR-VETS.  We have an outline for a plan as to how to reach every consumer in the GHMA ,by working in collaboration with other veteran organizations like the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Wounded Warriors, the USO, Paralyzed Veterans, Operation American Heroes, U.S. Vets, Int., and many others, we believe we can lay the ground work to contact and  expedite a successful program not just temporarily, but which will work for many, many years into the future.

In addition, we will offer a complete line of BACK-OUR-VETS merchandise including t-shirts, jackets, backpacks, canteens, flashlights, caps, kids helmets, boots, Fallen Hero greeting cards, posters, stamps, books, flags, etc. including full color paintings of the 500 Texans who gave their lives fighting for our country. Any profits we will enjoy will be shared with our non-profit partners. Primarily, the authorized retail participants have an advantage to build customer loyalty as patriotic shoppers have the freedom of choice where they will shop and be able to BACK-OUR-VETS with their 2 cents contributions.  Everyone, working together in unison, we can Bless America’s troops and veteran families.

Currently, I have had to dig into my own pocket to act as the catalyst to start-up this noble cause which will be like the Hoover Dam’s horsepower to generate “MONEY” for our veterans, and I am not too proud to accept any small donation to keep this noble cause proceeding forward.  May I please suggest you take 30 seconds to watch a video we produced for just $115 which was the rental cost of my Uncle Sam costume.   Then “DON’T FORGET. BACK-OUR-VETS.”