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IAVA Asks All Americans to Pledge to #GoSilent on Memorial Day
New York, NY (May 8, 2015) — Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the leading post-9/11 veteran empowerment organization, is asking Americans to pledge to #GoSilent this Memorial Day to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of our nation.
In recognition of the 35 military service members lost in overseas conflicts in the past year and the countless lives lost in sacrifice to our country, IAVA is promoting its eighth annual #GoSilent campaign, encouraging Americans to pledge a full minute of silence at 3:00PM local time on Memorial Day.
#GoSilent creates a shared, nationwide experience of memorialization, coinciding with the National Moment of Remembrance. It provides a moment to reflect on the lives given in service to the United States and allows an opportunity to break from the weekend’s casual celebrations to pay respects to the men and women whose individual sacrifices should be honored and remembered.
“#GoSilent is an opportunity to bring our entire community together for one moment, and to express thanks to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice,” said IAVA CEO Jeremy Butler. “We have the rest of the weekend to celebrate the coming of summer. We owe it to our community to take this one minute to remember.”
In past years, thousands have participated in the groundbreaking activation effort. High profile participants have included Brad Pitt, Norman Lear, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Wes Moore, among others.
IAVA Members and supporters can take the pledge to #GoSilent at iava.org/go-silent and participants to access IAVA’s #GoSilent Social Media Kit for content to post across social media.