State funeral for World War II veterans: Summary and goal
Mission Statement:
“To convince the President of the United States to designate a state funeral for the last Medal of Honor holder from World War II, as a final salute to the 16 million men and women of the greatest generation who served in our armed forces from 1941 to 1945.”
We are leading a nationwide petition drive to convince the President to designate a single state funeral for the final Medal of Honor holder from World War II. This event will provide national recognition to honor all 16 million soldiers, sailors and airmen who defeated Imperialism, Fascism, and Nazism. The time has come for a final salute to the greatest generation. A state funeral would be the perfect vehicle to do so.
National ideas, such as our own, come from the most unlikely places. Mr. A.B.R Shelly of Raleigh, North Carolina saw the photo of the Marines raising the American Flag over Mount Suribachi, and wrote to the New York Times in February of 1945 the following: “On the front page of the Times of Feb. 25 is a picture which should make a magnificent war memorial.” The Iwo Jima monument was born.
Today, you can help give birth to a unique national event to honor the men and women who wore our nation’s uniform in World War II. A bipartisan effort that can unify us in these divided times.
Under American law, the President of the United States has the sole authority to designate a state funeral for any citizen of his choosing. Every President is offered a state funeral, but our history is full of non-Presidential state funerals. Here are a few examples: In 1921, President Warren Harding designated a state funeral for the Unknown Soldier from World War I; General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Allied Commander of the Pacific, and General Dwight Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander of Europe, were each duly honored by the nation with state funerals. The selfless, brave men and women who served under them deserve the honor of special recognition at the state funeral for the final Medal of Honor holder from World War II.
World War II veterans were once all around us. They operated small businesses, they were big city cops and small town firemen, and they were our teachers, coaches and city councilmen. They were our neighbors, our parents, our grandparents, our great aunts and uncles. The 18 year old airman, sailor, or marine in 1945 is now reaching their 90s. Today, only about 500,000 of these true heroes are still with us.
In the 1,364 days from Pearl Harbor to the Japanese surrender, millions of Americans fought on global battlefields. Only 464 Americans were awarded Medals of Honor, the nation’s highest decoration of valor. Today only 4 remain.
The structure of State Funeral for World War II Veterans is decentralized using a spoke and wheel design. On the surface of the wheel are 50 State Chairs who also serve on our national Board of Directors. The center is our headquarters staff and 5 person Executive Committee Board of Directors.
Today, we are actively recruiting a State Chair in each state that will then recruit 8 people to serve on their State Board. Nominations for State Chairs and State Board members are encouraged. Please send nominations to our Chief of Staff, Kate Maddra, at kate@worldwar2salute. org
Being a State Chair is similar to owning a franchise, in that headquarters will provide everything needed including: talking points to speak with the media; sample letters to the editor and guest columns, ongoing PR material, and much more.
We seek individuals who want to be recognized with our honorable mission -- men and women who possess
the attributes and motivation to further our cause. We need executives who have a history of building success in the private sector and helping the non-profit world.
The good news, as well as the challenge of our mission, is that we only have to convince one person to enjoy success. But, that person is the President of the United States. Therefore, we have to compete with hundreds of policies, ideas, and initiatives that vie for the President’s attention every minute of every day. We are not engaged in a contest with welldefined rules, where the initiative with the most submitted petitions will win. Like a young tech startup in Silicon Valley, we have to first establish a presence,
then gain creditability, achieve traction, and finally surge. With your help and leadership, we can!
The 2016 presidential campaign provided evidence that President Trump is a populist. Populism identifies with the “folks on the bottom of the ladder” and “the common man”. It identifies with the privates, not the generals. We will play to this reality at State Funeral for World War II Veterans. Following the Civil War, there was a election that pit a former General against a former Private. The Private’s campaign slogan was, “I hope all the former Generals vote for him, and all the former Privates vote for me!” He won, and so will we.
At the end of one of the greatest
war films of all time, Saving Private Ryan, Captain John Miller, played by Tom Hanks, is dying. He takes the hand of Private James Francis Ryan and he says four powerful words, “Earn this. Earn it.” That is exactly what the Greatest Generation did for America, as well as for the entire world.
Now, let us fulfill our duty of ensuring they have the proper final salute they deserve. We hope you will join us in achieving this mission.
Sincerely,
April Box, president Ron Ramseyer, treasurer Lee W. McNutt. co-founder