National Veterans Center to launch in 2012

Be a part of this important project

Dear supporter of veterans' rights,

March Forward! has been at the forefront of the struggle against the epidemic of suicides among veterans and active-duty soldiers. Many thousands have joined this important campaign by signing petitions, making phone calls and writting letters to both chain of command at Fort Lewis and Congress to demand justice for Sgt. Derrick Kirkland and SSG Jared Hagemann.

SSG Jared Hagemann took his own life six after being told he would be deployed for the eighth time to Afghanistan, despite of his commanding officers' full knowledge of his severe PTSD. Sgt. Derrick Kirkland lost his life to suicide in March 2010 as a result of the Army's inadequate mental health care system.

These campaigns are part of a much broader fight—a fight against the mental health negligence afforded to active-duty service members and veterans and the complete disregard for the lives of those who serve in the U.S. military.

We are taking the fight against the growing epidemic of military suicides to the next level with the launch of the March Forward! National Veterans Center in early 2012—and we need your support.

The March Forward! National Veterans Center will be headquartered in Los Angeles, where March Forward! members already actively organize in the struggle against U.S. wars of aggression and around issues affecting veterans, active-duty service members and military families.

Thanks to a generous gift by anti-war activist Judi Cheng, your tax-deductible donation to support the launch of the March Forward! National Veterans Center will be doubled up to $6,000.

What will this desperately needed National Veterans Center do?

• Serve as an organizing center for national campaigns for the rights of veterans and active-duty service members, including the campaign against military suicides and for adequate mental health care.
• Provide GI rights counseling, conscientious objector assistance and PTSD assistance to active-duty GIs
• Offer counseling by veterans who know the truth about the wars to students and young people being lured by recruiters to join the military
• Assist veterans in navigating the labyrinth for Veterans Administration benefits and services
• Organize speaking tours in cities across the country highlighting the issues confronting veterans, active-duty service members and military families, and build the anti-war movement
• Serve as an activist organizing center for veterans and GIs taking political action
• Hold public classes and forums for the veterans community
• Organize press conferences addressing urgent issues facing veterans and service members
• Produce literature and materials for veterans and GIs around the country

March Forward! relies exclusively on your generous donations to do this work. Please make an urgently needed tax-deductible donation to help us launch the March Forward! National Veterans Center as 2012 begins.

In just two years of existence, we have been able to accomplish huge tasks, from building mass anti-war demonstrations led by veterans and GIs, to inspiring and assisting conscientious objectors within the ranks of the military, to breaking national stories about the suicide epidemic.

But over these two years of great work, we have been severely limited by our funding. We have done so much with very little. We want to take March Forward! to the next level, and vastly increase our work and capabilities. This begins with establishing a national headquarters to serve as a center for activity and organization.  

This will only be possible with your financial support. Please donate today to make the March Forward! National Veterans Center a reality.

Sincerely,

Michael Prysner
Co-founder, March Forward!

Spread the word about this exciting initiative!