Former Intrepid President, Bill White reminds us all to take a moment and remember those killed in action, the wounded and their families who make the ultimate contribution so we maintain our way of life. We owe them so much.
We get a lot of distinguished visitors here, but meeting Mark was at the top of our list - it was so cool that he came and everyone is saying how tough it is during the holidays, but having someone of Marks caliber visit us makes us very happy.
(1888PressRelease) December 24, 2010 - New York, NY - Bill White, former Intrepid President is reaching out to remind us all that supporting our troops is more important now than ever before. With the holidays just around the corner, many of us will be celebrating surrounded by our families, friends and loved ones. During this time we should take a moment to remember and be grateful for the enormous sacrifices made by brave American service members to keep our country safe.
Tens of thousands of men and women in uniform will be spending the holidays far away from their families, with many putting their lives directly in harm's way. This past year has been a difficult one for our service members and their families.
For our troops serving in Afghanistan or Iraq, the holidays will be most likely spent in a heavily fortified camp or on patrol looking and expecting the worst. They will be doing their job away from their spouses, children, parents and friends. It is not easy. "We often lose sight of the fact that many of them have volunteered for this job and are doing it not for the pay, but because they are true patriots." notes Bill White. "We owe to give them more recognition and respect."
They are overseas protecting and defending our freedoms and our way of life. It is a twenty-four hour job and even within the safety of their bases, a soldier is always on alert rifle at the ready.
"Recently, I had the privilege and great honor of visiting our troops in the war zone of Afghanistan. I accompanied my friend and a truly great American patriot, Mark Wahlberg, on a short trip with the single purpose of meeting and thanking our soldiers for their service." says retired Intrepid President Bill White. "Mark had also secured the approval from Paramount Pictures to preview his new inspirational movie The Fighter to the troops."
During their trip Bill White and Mark Wahlberg encountered over 2500 courageous men and women, shook literally thousands of hands and took many photographs. The United Service Organization generously sponsored the visit and Mark graciously signed hundreds of autographs for our troops. Per Mark's wishes, the trip received little publicity. He wasn't there to promote his image, but to say an honest and sincere thank you to our troops. "For that reason, I have enormous respect and admiration for Mark Wahlberg and his family." says Bill White.
Every command post visited by Bill White and Mark Wahlberg gave them the opportunity to meet service members from all parts of the United States. Morale was great. Upon returning home, Bill White, retired Intrepid President received an email from a young female marine from Wyoming who summed up the experience very well. "We get a lot of distinguished visitors here, but meeting Mark was at the top of our list - it was so cool that he came and everyone is saying how tough it is during the holidays, but having someone of Marks caliber visit us makes us very happy."
At every stop Mark took the time to thank them for their service and convey his hopes that they would return home safely and soonest. "We were there for one specific reason - to say thank you and to let them know how grateful we all are for their service and for the sacrifices that they make on behalf of all of us." says Bill White, "We encountered a lot of support from our troops for success of the mission and also met the amazing staff that cares for the wounded in our military hospitals."
The day before arriving in Afghanistan, they were reminded of the awful toll this war has taken on our service members and the ever-present danger surrounding them. A soldier from Minnesota was killed when an IED exploded beneath him. "May God rest his soul and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and all those who have sacrificed so much."
Former Intrepid President, Bill White reminds us all to take a moment and remember those killed in action, the wounded and their families who make the ultimate contribution so we maintain our way of life. We owe them so much.
In this season of giving a great way to show your support for our troops is to get involved or make a generous contribution to the many good organizations across this country like the USO, Fisher House, Intrepid, Operation Mend, Wounded Warrior Project or the Veterans Healing Initiative, working to ensure our brave men and women in uniform and their families receive our gratitude love and respect. We owe them nothing less than that always.
About Bill White
Bill White has dedicated his career to honoring and supporting our nation's military personnel, veterans and their families. Bill White retired after 20 years as President of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. Under his leadership, The Intrepid Museum emerged as a world-class education attraction welcoming almost 1,000,000 visitors each year and featuring exciting exhibits like the British Airways Concorde. Under Bills leadership over $600 million has been raised for related charitable efforts. White is also a graduate of Fordham University and holds a Culinary Arts Degree from the French Culinary Institute. Bill White is currently Chairman and CEO of Constellations Group a NYC strategic communications consulting firm whose mission cornerstone is to advocate for causes important to our nation's military, veterans and their families.
For additional information, contact:
Violeta Prelvukaj
Constellations Group
1 Penn Plaza
Suite 3600
New York, NY 10119
212-786-7417
vp ( @ ) constellationsgroup dot com http://constellationsgroup.com/