Nancy Nygard, a Military Family Speaks Out member from Teaneck, New Jersey, said, “My son served a 16 month deployment in Afghanistan, being stop-lossed and extended past his initial 12 month deployment. In December of 2009, within 24 hours of President Obama’s speech on the surge in Afghanistan, my son received FedEx'd orders to report for duty assigned to combat infantry unit to serve in Iraq for 400 days. He had returned home, was honorably discharged and had begun rebuilding his life. He was in school full-time, and raising his two young children. Now what he is doing in Iraq? He was a combat troop when he deployed. Calling it something different does nothing to sooth his wife and young children. Claiming an end to the war when my family is devastated is a farce. This war is not over.”

MFSO helped me understand that it was ok to cry and that anger could be turned into action. They comforted me and held my hand and I knew I never had to say I’m sorry. They understood that I wanted to hear all the news but I didn’t want to hear all the news. They knew about the sleepless nights and I know they remembered holding their babies in their arms and never imagining having to let them go to war. They were and still are the sanity in my insanity that surely goes on for me and so many other military families.

As organizations, we represent veterans and military families. We have personally carried the burden of the war in Afghanistan, along with wars past. We are glad that the truth about the war is getting out to the public with the recent 92,000 documents on Wikileaks. Hopefully, this will inspire a massive outcry against this war that is wreaking so much destruction to our exhausted and demoralized troops and their families while draining our national coffers.

The day my son called to say good-bye as he was going to Iraq my heart broke and the tears flowed. My body was gripped in fear and I began to hold my breath as I did when he was a toddler running through the house – fearing he would fall or hit his head – or as he grew older and went out the door – holding my breath until he would return safely to our home. Now he was going to war –into a horror that I could not stop and could only hold my breath and pray that he would return – safe and healthy.

Overall, we were surprised to be welcomed with so many cheers, plenty of peace signs, and very few negative comments. It has become very apparent these past few months, even in the most conservative areas such as this parade in Huntington Beach (billed as the biggest 4th of July parade west of the Mississippi), that our troops are being needlessly exploited for no good reason.

There's a storm about the failed leadership of Gen. Stanley McChrystal. But the bigger storm is about failed war policy... Already more than 1,130 U.S. military personnel and thousands of Afghan civilians have died; thousands more have been wounded. Our military families and the Afghan families are suffering — deeply. The United States has spent more than $280 billion — money that is desperately needed here for education, healthcare, housing and jobs.

Please support MFSO and our efforts to bring the troops home now and take care of them when they get here! Contact Congress to vote against funding for war... Join us at the US Social Forum... Support the Charley Richardson Legacy Fund. Click below for more information.

In December, we wrote to you about the Charley Richardson Legacy Fund, set up to honor the leadership and vision of our founders, Nancy Lessin and Charley Richardson, who is struggling with cancer. Today we write you again to let you know about an additional $5,000 matching gift that we have received.

Help us today and double your gift - your monthly or one-time donation now will provide much-needed support to uphold our voices and help build the movement needed to end these wars.

Make a contribution today and read the tributes to Charley and Nancy at www.mfsotribute.org.

For military families, Memorial Day doesn't represent the start of summer or a great day for a b-b-q. It is a solemn time to reflect on the painful impacts of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan -- the casualties, suicides, injuries,post-traumatic stress disorder and broken families. It also marks a time to reinvigorate ourselves for the efforts to bring the troops home NOW, and take care of them when they get here. We hope you will read about our participation in Memorial Day activities around the country, and join us in these efforts.

For Immediate Release: AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW

Contact:  Nikki Morse, 347-703-0570, nikki@mfso.org
Deborah Forter, 617-983-0710, deborah@mfso.org

"With great sadness my family and I recognize Memorial Day and the 7 years since we last saw my son, Sgt. Sherwood Baker alive. On April 26, 2004 he died in an explosion while looking for the nonexistent weapons of mass destruction.  We are but one of the over 5,000 American families who mourn the loss of their loved ones in Iraq and Afghanistan; physical and spiritual casualties affect thousands more - and yet the wars that kill our young and drain our treasure do not create peace. It is long past time to bring our troops home, and find real solutions for Peace."