Our Partners

AMERICAN LEGION

The American Legion was chartered by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic, war-time veterans organization, devoted to mutual helpfulness. It is a not-for-profit community-service organization which now numbers nearly 3 million members, men and women, in nearly 15,000 American Legion posts worldwide.

AMERICA'S VET DOGS

Helping those who have served our country honorably to live with dignity and independence whether they are visually impaired or have other special needs, by using guide dogs, service dogs, and innovative technologies

ARMED SERVICES YMCA

The mission of the Armed Services YMCA of the USA, on behalf of the National Council of Young Men's Christian Associations of the United States of America, is to put Christian principles into practice through educational, recreational, social and religious programs and services for military personnel, both single and married and their family members. The mission is carried out in cooperation with the military.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

The Veterans History Project (VHP) of the Library of Congress American Folklife Center collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war. VHP relies on volunteer interviewers-both organizations and individuals-to record the stories of veterans. These volunteer interviewers, from all over the country, are adults and students, 10th grade and up. By collecting a veteran's first person account, all participants not only learn about history from a unique perspective but students also engage in the creation of primary source materials. To learn how to record stories according to VHP's straightforward guidelines, visit www.loc.gov/vets, click on "How to Participate," and follow the "Five Easy Steps." To learn more about how the Library of Congress and HISTORY work together, click here.

NATIONAL MILITARY FAMILY ASSOCIATION

Military families serve our country with pride, honor, and quiet dedication. The National Military Family Association is the leading nonprofit organization committed to strengthening and protecting the families of the men and women currently serving, retired, wounded or fallen. We provide families of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Commissioned Corps of the USPHS and NOAA with information, work to get them the benefits they deserve, and offer programs that improve their lives. Our 40 years of service and accomplishments have made us a trusted resource for military families and the Nation's leaders. To learn more, visit www.MilitaryFamily.org.

OPERATION GRATITUDE

Operation Gratitude (www.OperationGratitude.com ) is the California- based 501 (c) (3) non-profit, volunteer organization that annually sends 100,000+ care packages filled with snacks, entertainment items and personal letters of appreciation addressed to individually named U.S. Service Members deployed in hostile overseas regions. Our mission is to lift morale, bring a smile to a service member's face and to express to all our Armed Forces the appreciation and support of the American people. Each package contains donated product valued at ~$100 and costs the organization $11 to assemble and ship. By the end of 2009, Operation Gratitude will have shipped more than 500,000 packages to American Military deployed overseas.

UNITED SERVICES ORGANIZATION

The USO (United Service Organizations) lifts the spirits of America's armed forces and their families. We provide a touch of home to troops wherever they serve through USO centers at airports and on military bases around the world. We take top quality entertainment to even the most remote areas and we create innovative programs and services tailored to meet the needs of troops and their families. The USO is a private, not-for-profit organization, and relies on the generosity of its donors.

VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS

The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is a nonprofit veterans' service organization composed of combat veterans and those who currently serve on active duty or in the Guard and Reserves. Founded in 1899 and chartered by Congress in 1936, the VFW is the nation's largest organization of war veterans and is one of its oldest veterans' organizations. With 1.6 million members located in 7,500 VFW Posts worldwide, the VFW and its Auxiliaries are dedicated to supporting veterans and service members through veterans service, legislative initiatives, youth scholarships, Buddy Poppy and national military service programs. Annually, the VFW and its Auxiliaries contribute more than 13 million hours of community service to the nation. For more information or to join, visit the organization's Web site at www.vfw.org.

VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA

Vietnam Veterans of America is the only congressionally chartered national veterans service organization dedicated to working on behalf of our nation's Vietnam-era veterans and their families. Founded in 1978, VVA celebrates 31 years In Service to America. VVA's goals are to promote and support the full range of issues important to Vietnam veterans, to create a new identity for this generation of veterans, and to change public perception of Vietnam veterans. In keeping with our founding principle, "Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another," VVA's theme of VetsConnect enables it to reach out to our newer veterans in many ways. The organization s many successes are a direct result of the hard work of thousands of dedicated men and women: our members; our national committee and task force chairs; our national officers and board of directors; and the staff at our national headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland. For more information please visit http://www.vva.org

WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT

Wounded Warrior Project is a non-profit organization whose mission is to honor and empower wounded warriors. WWP serves to raise awareness and enlist the public's aid for the needs of severely injured service men and women, to help severely injured service members aid and assist each other and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. For more information, please call 877 TEAM WWP (832-6997) or visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org.