“Support Our Vets” Teams with Author to Promote Its “Flag Still Stands for Freedom” Campaign

Oct. 21, 2009 - PRLog -- As we approach Veterans Day 2009 (November 11), and continue to find our country’s young men and women defending our freedom in not one – but two – foreign countries, more and more attention is (rightfully) being directed in support of our military veterans and their families, both past and present.

One campaign focused on garnering appreciation for our service members has been launched by New York-based talk show host Laura Kennedy, whose show “Laura Kennedy Live” is airing a 24-hour live talk show (in conjunction with several other networks) on Veterans Day.  At the base of this campaign is their “Flags Still Stand for Freedom” movement, which has been gaining momentum since its introduction on Sept. 11.  The campaign, which encourages everyone to spread the word via a variety of methods, began as a talk show to share the experiences and memories of veterans and their families but quickly developed into a program designed to make our flag and its colors visible across the globe with a unified statement of support for our troops.  

“It is my mission this year to not only celebrate the memories of our veterans, but to celebrate the freedom that they are risking their lives to defend” said Kennedy, “We don’t need tragedies like 9/11 or holidays like the 4th of July to display our flag!”  She went on to explain:  “The U.S. Flag means many things to all of us but military personnel have strong emotional ties to our flag as a symbol of their service and the land that they have pledged to support and defend.  Whether fighting on foreign soils or stationed abroad, the sight of our flag flying brings a sense of determination and strength as well as a reminder that back on home turf there are families and friends supporting their efforts and anxiously awaiting their return.”

A retired veteran herself, Kennedy recently joined forces with author J.L. Smith to not only spread the word about the campaign, but to work together to raise funds for “Project Valour – IT”, a program developed by “Soldiers’ Angels”, which helps provide voice-controlled/adaptive laptop computers and other technology to support Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand wounds and other severe injuries.  Smith, author of “Reporting for Doodie:  One Grandmother’s Story of Commitment, Frustration and Unwavering Love”, has a personal reason for wanting to help…both her daughter and son-in-law have been – or currently are – stationed in war zones in both Iraq and Afghanistan.  The book is a funny, sad and heartwarming account of how dual deployment changed her life when asked to be sole caregiver to her young grandson and has been receiving great reviews from members of the military family community.

“When Laura told me about her campaign to encourage support of our veterans by simply displaying our flag, I was immediately on board and very excited” said Smith, “And when she told me about Project Valour-IT, I knew I had to help in some way.”  She went on to explain:  “So, from now until Veterans Day in November, a percentage of the proceeds from my book sales – placed through my website - will be donated to this extremely worthwhile cause.  And I encourage everyone to fly their flag in support of our military Veterans!”

Anyone interested in joining the movement can do so by visiting
www.FlagStillStandsForFreedom.com where they can submit photos/stories about their favorite veteran and review a comprehensive list of ways to help spread the word. Or they can contact Laura Kennedy at www.LauraKennedyLive.com or by phone at 516.502.2750.

“Reporting for Doodie” can be purchased for $19.95 through the author’s website at www.ReportingForDoodie.com.  The author encourages visitors to the site to leave a message of support for our troops in the guestbook.