Doing Good - How you can help our Armed Forces.

With Memorial Day almost upon us, we thought it would be a good idea to highlight some of the many great groups groups that help our men and women in uniform. Note: we have compiled a more complete list on our site here.

The United Service Organization

These are the people that help keep up the morale of our warfighters. Whether they are greeting military travelers at airports, promoting military events at home or sending a piece of home to deployed soldiers, the USO has been there every step of the way. You can help the USO by volunteering or by donating funds to support their mission. Lastly, an easy way to express your support is by sponsoring a care package. For just $25 you can send about $75 worth of need items along with a personal note of support.

The Wounded Warrior Project

The WWP is dedicated to making sure our service men and women are not forgotten and have grown to be come an advocate for those injured from their service to our country. You too can get involved by becoming a Wounded Warrior advocate. Help a service person find a job by coaching them on their resume. Volunteer at an event. Or donate money and help sponsor many of the direct programs that benefit wounded warriors. The greatest casualty is being forgotten. Help the WWP to make sure that doesn't happen.

eMail our Military

When the Depart of Defense canceled the popular Any Service member postal program, many average Americans lost a way to connect and support their deployed service personnel. The eMOM or (eMail our Military) group was started as a way to fill that gap. There are many simple things you can do and they don't take a lot of effort or money. Check out their site to see how you can help.

Veterans Airlift Command

Wounded troops from our recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan sometimes require extensive travel in order to reach their family or medical facilities for care. The VAC sprang into action as a grass roots effort to utilize a special group of people: Private plane owners and their fleet of aircraft. These passionate Americans have since formed a network that pairs a wounded warrior with a pilot or aircraft owner to help them meet their needs. If you are an aircraft owner or pilot, consider adding yourself to the network or donate funds to help defer the cost of fuel and other expenses. Click here and help be the wind beneath the Veterans Airlift Command.

Dog Tags for Kids

Nothing warms your heart more than the smiling face of a youngster. All to often though, the children of a deployed service member have a burden they aren't ready for. This organization grew from the need to keep the connection between families, even if they were miles apart. Now you too can support a deployed soldier with children by sponsoring a simple set of engraved dog tags. Click here to get behind this worthy cause.

Memorial Day Weekend - Keeping the Spirit Alive

With Memorial Day fast approaching, we thought it would be prudent to talk about the history of this day and what we, as Americans, should be doing to keep the spirit alive.

Memorial Day originally was called Decoration Day and was created to honor the Union dead of the Civil War. Over time, as hostilities over the bloody war between the states subsided, the more inclusive "Memorial" replaced "Decoration" and the perception of a national holiday grew. Memorial Day became even more popular following World War II, but it wasn't until 1967 that it became a federal holiday. During the 1970s the traditional date of Memorial Day was finally established, the last monday in May.

That was the abridged version, if you want more details, learn more about Memorial Day here.

What does Memorial Day mean to you now? How does it rank in your life? Obviously, we should thank our armed forces everyday that we live in a free country. This weekend especially, though, we need to take a moment to remember the fallen.

Memorial Day weekend isn't just about opening our pools and grilling hot dogs. Countless soldiers have paid the ultimate price for the freedoms we enjoy and sometimes take for granted. Please remember, wherever you are on Monday, May 31st, take a moment at 3pm to remember that freedom isn't free. It was paid for by the men and women of our brave armed forces. Learn more about what you can do on this day here.

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