12-9-09_Bring the troops home to NW_ for Christmas-UPDATE with Greg Warnock of the OWVA

OWVA Needs Your Help to Save Christmas! December 4, 2009 Info:Greg Warnock greg@owva.org Oregon National Guard Soldiers Stranded for Christmas...Salem, Ore. - Brigadier General Mike Caldwell, the deputy director of the Oregon Military Department/Oregon National Guard (ORNG) asked the Oregon War Veterans Association (OWVA) to help provide transportation for 94 members of the ORNG, from Dallas, Oregon who will be stranded in Wisconsin for the holidays. “OWVA has proven to be a valuable resource to the Oregon National Guard, providing goods and services to help to eliminate stress to our soldiers and their families by always offering a helping hand wherever and whenever possible," said BG Caldwell during a media conference today. “I asked for their help because the public knows them and supports their efforts to help our troops.” With gigantic budget cuts affecting ORNG they simply do not have the funds to bring these veterans home for the holidays. The unit is currently at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin for explosive disarming and disposal training. They deploy to Afghanistan right after Christmas for more than a year of the dangerous duty of defusing explosive devices.Please find it in your hearts to help OWVA bring Oregon’s veterans home. 3 ways to make a charitable donation for this project:1. Go online to www.OWVA.org, and click on the donate button.2. Deposit at any branch at US Bank to Oregon War Veterans Association/ORNG account ending in 5051.3. Mail a check to OWVA, PO Box 8043, Salem, OR 97303 (memo: “save Christmas”) **All funds over the amount needed will be used toward sending Oregon’s veterans who have lost limbs and want to compete in the Para-Olympics in January to Vancouver, BC in January.( Christmas music by various artists & Canyon records www.canyonrecords.com) and other guests will call in to Pitch! Like Gene Tagaban- who will also be premiering some new tracks on our show tonight-wonderful flute player & advocate for our Veterans:)