September 24, 2005 Washington D.C. Rally

From MFSO Founders

Dear Military Families,

We are looking forward to seeing many of you in Washington, D.C. next week! The Bring Them Home Now Tour (see www.BringThemHomeNow.org) is currently crisscrossing the country, and will converge in Washington, DC on September 21, in time for the United for Peace and Justice Mobilization September 24th-26th.

With so many new members joining our ranks every day, we want to make sure that all of you know about the events in Washington, DC. If you have already let us know that you’ll be there, then we can’t wait to see you! If you haven’t told us that you’ll be coming to D.C. for the September 24^th -26^th events, please let us know ASAP by emailing MFSO Program Coordinator Rosemary Candelario at rosemary@mfso.org. This will help us plan all of our events for the proper number of people.

Here is a rundown of all the events Military Families Speak Out will be participating in. We don’t have all the logistical details yet, but please be assured that we will keep you updated with the latest information as it becomes available! Please make sure that we know you will be in D.C., so we can make sure to get you the updates!

Friday, September 23:

Plans are in the works for an evening vigil sponsored by MFSO as well as Gold Star Families for Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War, and Veterans for Peace. If you live in the DC area, or if you’ll be arriving Friday, stay tuned for details.

Saturday, September 24:

10:00AM All-Day Peace & Justice Festival Begins, Washington Monument Grounds
11:30AM Rally at Ellipse
12:30PM March steps off
3:00PM "Operation Ceasefire" Concert & Rally, Washington Monument Grounds

7:00-11:00PM MFSO Hospitality Room at the Doubletree Hotel Crystal City

Military Families Speak Out, Gold Star Families for Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War, and Veterans for Peace will all be marching together in the largest contingent ever of military families and Veterans. We do not yet have a meeting place assigned, but will let you know as soon as we do.

We'll have new MFSO T-shirts, and also bumperstickers and buttons available for purchase in the “Real Support for Our Troops Means -Bring Them Home Now!” tent at the Washington Monument. You should bring your own signs to carry. If you are comfortable with it, make posters with pictures of your loved one(s); a personal sign with a personal message from the heart is more effective than any slogan!

In the evening on Saturday, we will have a hospitality room available from 7-11pm at the Doubletree Hotel Crystal City, located near the Pentagon City Metro Stop on the blue or yellow lines, two or three stops from downtown DC. The hotel is at 300 Army Navy Drive, Arlington, Virginia. You can take the hotel shuttle from the Pentagon City Metro Stop; it arrives every half hour, usually around 10 minutes after the hour, and 20 minutes of the hour. This is a place for all MFSO members to gather, whether you are staying at the hotel or not. Events might still be going on at the Washington Monument, but if you want to relax with new and old friends from MFSO and Gold Star Families for Peace, stop by the hospitality room! Members of Iraq Veterans Against the War, Veterans for Peace and Vietnam Veterans Against the War are more than welcome to join us!

Sunday, September 25:

From 8am to 1pm we will hold a MFSO national meeting at the Doubletree Hotel Crystal City, with networking and skill sharing. Gold Star Families for Peace will also be participating in this meeting.

The afternoon will be free for you to rest, explore the city, or take advantage of events and trainings offered by other organizations.

FYI, there will be an Interfaith "Tent Revival" for Peace and Justice at 6:00PM at the Washington Monument Grounds.

Monday, September 26:

For those who can stay for September 26^th, there will be additional protests as well as opportunities to visit with Members of Congress and Senators. Please let us know if you will be in DC for Monday – and let us know if you are interested in visiting Members of Congress/Senators that day -- by emailing rosemary@mfso.org, so that we may plan accordingly!

We look forward to gathering together as military families in DC to let decision makers, our fellow Americans, and the world hear us as we say:

End the war in Iraq!

Bring our troops home now!

Take care of them when they get here!

Never again send our loved ones - our service men and women - to a war based on lies!

In Peace and Solidarity,

Nancy Lessin and Charley Richardson

for Military Families Speak Out