Call Congress!
Families United today thanked the sponsors of a bill to safeguard the honor of fallen service members and urged its members and all Americans to contact their representatives in Congress and demand they pass the bill as soon as possible.

The Fallen Heroes Protection Act (HR 5772), sponsored by Rep. Charles W. Boustany Jr. (R-LA) and cosponsored by 23 others, would prohibit the names and likenesses of fallen service members from being used in political demonstrations or for commercial purposes, and in any instance where the service member's family did not offer explicit permission.

"No one should have to endure the grief of seeing their son, their brother, or their daddy, who gave his life for our freedom, exploited by those who would use his name and his face for disgusting political stunts," said Families United member Gary Qualls. Mr. Qualls is the father of Marine LCPL Louis W. Qualls, who saved the lives of 21 Marines and 37 Iraqi National Guard troops before falling to insurgent fire in the Battle of Fallujah. Read the full release here.

Take Part in the Freedom Walk
We're proud to be in partnership with America Supports You, which spotlights what Americans are doing to support our troops.

On September 11, 2006, the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on our country, Freedoms Walks will take place across the United States. The purpose of these walks is to establish a national tradition to reflect on the lives lost on September 11, 2001, to renew our commitment to freedom and the values of our country, and to honor our veterans, past and present.

To date, Peoria, Ariz.; Yuma, Ariz.; Travis AFB, Calif.; Aurora, Colo.; Belleview, Fla.; Deltona, Fla.; Ocala, Fla.; Crawfordsville, Ind.; Dearborn, Mich.; Bellevue, Neb.; Grand Forks, N.D.; Oklahoma City, Okla.; Plano, Texas; and Salt Lake City, Utah are all hosting a Freedom Walk on or around Sept. 11. The cities of Chesapeake, Poquoson, Hampton, Norfolk, and Portsmouth in Virginia are all also hosting Freedom Walks.

Families United urges all our members to take part in building this important tradition. To find out how to host a Walk in your area, or to register to participate in the National Freedom Walk, click here.

Gold Star Community
We have two Gold Star family conference calls scheduled for August. They will be held at 8:00 p.m./Eastern time on Tuesday, August 8 and Tuesday, August 22. Please watch your email for call details, or send us a note to receive the dial-in number or request more information about the calls.

Sincerely,
Chuck Larson
Founder

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For information on how to contact Congress, go here.