Hispanics launch initiative for medal of honor

Unsung Heroes initiative for the Medal of Honor
THE LATINO JOURNAL E-NEWS

The California American GI Forum (AGIF) has formed a committee with members from various chapters to pursue the "AGIF American Unsung Heroes Initiative." The initiative grew out of the Mid-Year Conference in Oceanside, California with the purpose of elevating awareness of the need for Secretary of Veteran Affairs and Congress to review and reconsider bestowing the Medal of Honor to Sergeant Manuel F. Martinez (Vietnam) and Sergeant Rafael Peralta (Iraq). Both were denied the Medal of Honor by the Pentagon through a secluded process, regardless of the documented bravery they displayed beyond the call of duty.

Chaired by John J. Lopez of the Los Angeles AGIF Chapter, the Committee was established as a special entity with a specific mission statement, a separate web-page on the California AGIF web-site, a role of describing and distributing all the pertinent initiative facts, and a goal of orchestrating a mass e-mail/letter campaign directed at the Secretary of Veteran Affairs, Congress and President Barrack Obama.

As a strategic action the Committee is offering fellow veterans, friends and family members the opportunity to make their concerns/views known in writing on this critical issue to the Secretary of Veteran Affairs, Congressional Representatives as well as to President Barrack Obama.

California State Commander Willie Galvan and the American Unsung Heroes Initiative Committee encourages you to take action by taking a few moments of your time to write an e-mail/letter to your elected officials expressing your concerns/views regarding support for the "AGIF American Unsung Heroes Initiative." Please keep in mind that we are pursuing this initiative to preserve the dignity and honor of those who have displayed acts of bravery and conspicuous gallantry at the risk of their own lives above and beyond the call of duty.

How you can support the AGIF American Unsung Heroes Initiative:

Familiarize yourself with the pertinent facts by visiting the AGIF California Web-site and follow the " AGIF American Unsung Heroes Initiative" links;
Share and distribute this information with others including local elected officials, fellow veterans, friends and family members who are willing to take action supporting the "AGIF American Unsung Heroes Initiative"; and,
Help conduct an e-mail/letter campaign effort.

For more information, visit http://www.agif.org/unsung.htm.