Blog Post

‘Go Silent’ Campaign Asks Nation to Honor the Fallen this Memorial Day
Posted by Michelle McCarthy on May 25 2012

Today, ahead of Memorial Day observances, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the nation’s first and largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization for the veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, launched a powerful new campaign asking Americans to ‘Go Silent’ this Memorial Day in honor of the 6,442 Americans who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11. Through the campaign, IAVA encourages Americans to pledge and unite for a national moment of silence at 12:01pm on Monday, May 28th coinciding with the historic Wreath of Remembrance service at Arlington National Cemetery. IAVA veteran spokespeople will be available for media throughout the day at parades and ceremonies nationwide.
 


“This Memorial Day, as Americans head to barbecues and the beach, IAVA will head to hallowed ground from Arlington to The Presidio. For our community, there is no other day of the year when the civilian-military divide feels greater. We have lost more than 6,400 brothers and sisters in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. These fallen Americans stand apart for their bravery, sacrifice and last full measure of devotion for our country. As we come together to support their families, IAVA encourages all Americans to unite with us this Memorial Day and pledge a moment of silence at 12:01pm in honor of their lives and legacies,” said IAVA Founder and Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff.

“For veterans of all generations, Memorial Day is a solemn time to remember all one million Americans who have died to protect our freedoms. It’s important for the entire country to commemorate that sacrifice, as well as build a foundation for the hundreds of thousands of troops still serving in Afghanistan and around the world. IAVA members are coming home to a 17 percent unemployment rate, a suicide epidemic and a failing VA system. One of the greatest ways America can pay tribute to the fallen is to dedicate our communities to supporting the men and women they served beside.”
 


From Arlington to The Presidio, IAVA members and supporters will unite on the ground this Memorial Day for ceremonies and parades to honor the fallen.  On behalf of all new veterans, IAVA’s Deputy Policy Director Tom Tarantino of San Anselmo, CA will represent at the White House and lay a Wreath of Remembrance before the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington Cemetery. Hundreds of IAVA members and their families will also march in the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the American Veterans Center, as well as participate in remembrance ceremonies in New York City, Chicago, Indianapolis, San Francisco and other cities. For the full schedule of IAVA events, please visit: www.iava.org/memorialday.

On Memorial Day, SiriusXM will stand in solidarity with IAVA to honor the fallen by broadcasting “Taps” as the military call marks its 150th anniversary. The one-minute solemn observance will play at approximately 12:00 pm ET across SiriusXM’s wide variety of music, sports, talk and entertainment channels. To sign IAVA’s ‘Go Silent’ pledge and learn more about participating sponsors, click here.

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