IAVA Veterans Unite at Ground Zero to Honor 9/11

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, September 9, 2011

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IAVA Veterans Unite at Ground Zero to Honor 9/11

IAVA Member Veterans Participate in Service Projects in NYC and Chicago; IAVA Founder and 9/11 First-Responder Paul Rieckhoff and Others Available for Press After Memorial Ceremonies

NEW YORK- In observance of 9/11, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the nation’s first and largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization representing veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, will unite at memorial services and service projects in tribute to 9/11 victims, their families and first-responders. IAVA Founder and Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff, a 9/11 First-Responder, New York native, and Iraq veteran, will represent IAVA’s more than 100,000 members nationwide at Ground Zero. To honor the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, IAVA Member Veterans will also unite online through a unique service pledge campaign and on the ground to lead service projects supporting local veterans in New York City and Chicago.

“This 9/11 anniversary is a solemn, but important day for the entire veterans community. Across the country, we will come together to memorialize the brave men and women we lost 10 years ago. As veterans, we understand the sacrifice that the 9/11 families and first-responders continue to carry, and we’re committed to ensuring the legacies of those we lost endure.

For new veterans, this anniversary is also a unique time to reflect and honor the 2.3 million service members who have served and paid the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan. The ramifications of 9/11 continue to extend beyond that tragic day for millions of veterans and military families across the country. Though 9/11 marked the opening chapter of these wars, it has defined a lasting call to serve for this new generation of veterans,” said IAVA Founder and Executive Director and 9/11 First-Responder Paul Rieckhoff.

As we mark this 10th anniversary, our country can’t afford to turn the page on these wars and these men and women who have served and continue to serve. Many are coming home to unprecedented challenges in a tough economy. But they are also returning with unparalleled commitment to continue serving our country. The ethos and drive of what TIME Magazine calls this ‘New Greatest Generation’ is exactly what our country needs now to move forward after 9/11. Many of us are already serving in public office, starting our own businesses and stepping up as local leaders in our communities. This wave of dedication and innovation will only grow in the years ahead. Working together - civilians and veterans united - there is no better way to honor the legacy of those we have lost in the wake of 9/11 than to build a country worthy of their sacrifice.”
 
Since 9/11, over 2.3 million veterans have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and their service continues today both at home and abroad.  In August, TIME Magazine featured IAVA Member Veterans, including IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff and IAVA Board Member Wes Moore, in an historic cover story about “The New Greatest Generation” and how young war veterans are redefining leadership at home. Click here to read the cover story.

For the past decade, IAVA has been working to honor the spirit of service of 9/11. In 2010, IAVA was instrumental in advocating for swift passage of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 to support first-responders, including combat veterans who aided in rescue and recovery, in the wake of the attacks at Ground Zero and the Pentagon.

To continue that spirit of service, IAVA Member Veterans will lead community service projects this weekend on the 9/11 National Day of Service to support local veterans at the Veterans’ Home at St. Albans in New York City and St. Leo’s Campus for Homeless Veterans in Chicago.They will also organize online across Facebook and Twitter to sign a service pledge with the goal of gathering 10,000 signatures from veterans and civilian supporters in honor of the 10^th Anniversary of 9/11. 

To learn more about IAVA’s service pledge campaign and IAVA Member Veterans participating in service projects throughout the anniversary weekend, click here.

If you are a member of the media who wishes to attend a service event or arrange an interview with IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff or another IAVA Member Veteran about their 9/11 story and service, please contact Isabel Black at (212) 982-9699 or isabel@iava.org.
   
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (www.IAVA.org) is the country's first and largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and has more than 200,000 Member Veterans and civilian supporters nationwide. Its mission is to improve the lives of this country's newest generation of veterans and their families.

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