Dear John,

Burying your brothers-in-arms can be a sad, tragic experience for a lot of soldiers.

But burying close to 75,000 of American and German soldiers less than a year is outright traumatic.

As a wide-eyed, skinny 18-year-old at the height of World War II, there was nothing I wanted to do more than join the fight.

My dream was to be a fighter pilot. But because of my poor eyesight at the time, I failed the test.

That's when I was assigned to the U.S. Army 607th Graves Registration Company.

They called it that because our main job was to dig graves and bury dead soldiers

From the time I landed in Utah Beach on D-Day to the day the war ended in Europe, my company and I buried close to 75,000 soldiers.

And I'd be lying if I didn't say how much I thought about each of those soldiers – many of whom were not much older than me – who never got to live their lives.

Granted, I didn't know them personally.

But as I laid each American soldier down in their final resting place, I felt something that every American veteran inevitably feels at some point in their service.

An innate sense of duty to make sure that all my friends and family members back home understand the true price of our freedom and realize the ultimate sacrifices made by so many young men.

Today, I have a new fear that keeps me up at night.

The fear that once I'm gone, nobody will remember us World War II veterans… and nobody will care about the things we did to take down the Nazi's, defeat the Imperial Japanese Army, and ultimately save the world from tyranny.

At 96 years old, I know that I don't have much time left.

That's why I'm urgently asking you to help me preserve our American history and the legacies of our veterans who gave their lives for our country before it's too late.

Over the past few years, I've sadly watched thousands of my fellow WWII comrades pass away from old age.

But even worst is that in our schools today, younger generations – the ones who will lead our country in the future – aren't being taught the important sacrifices those veterans made for our freedom anymore.

In fact, some people are actively trying to erase our history and make guys like me ashamed of my service to this country.

Thankfully, I know that when I pass on from this life, the lessons I learned about duty and honor from my time in the war WILL live on forever thanks to the help of the American Veterans Center (AVC).

If you've ever heard of the American Veterans Center before, then you know that for the past 25 years, they've made sure no American Veteran is forgotten – from WWII to the War on Terror.

Every May, they host the National Memorial Day Parade where they make guys like me the celebrities in front of the millions of people lining the streets and watching on TV.

In November, they host an Annual Veterans Conference where they fly me and my fellow combat veterans from around the country to Washington D.C. to give us the chance to tell our stories to the hundreds of students and future military leaders in attendance.

The AVC even sends camera crews to our homes so they can record our stories and preserve them for the rest of time.

But the AVC cannot do it alone.

As a non-profit organization, they rely almost exclusively on the donations of thousands of patriotic Americans like you who care about our country's history and our veterans.

The National Memorial Day Parade costs the AVC around $500,000;
The Annual AVC Conference and Youth Summit costs them around $600,000;
And every Oral History video they record costs about $2,000 to produce.

So, after all the American Veterans Center has done for me and thousands of American veterans, I have to ask you for this urgent favor…

Will you consider making a generous, tax-deductible contribution of $25, $35, $50 or more to the AVC so they can preserve our legacies before more of us pass?

I cannot begin to tell you how much the American Veterans Center means to me.

Because of them, I know that when I eventually pass on, my stories – and the stories of the men who served by my side – will be remembered forever.

But if the AVC can't raise the money to continue preserving our history, thousands of more veterans who put their lives on the line for our freedom and way of life will pass away without having their stories told.

I've always believed that those who don't understand history are doomed to repeat it.

Without your help today, future generations will completely forget about what it took to keep America free and prosperous.

And when that happens, America's identity will be lost forever.

I'm counting on folks like you to make sure that doesn't happen.

Please, help my friends at the American Veterans Center preserve our history from being washed away by sending them a gift of $25, $35, $50 or more today.

Sincerely,

George Ciampa

D-Day Veteran

Battle of the Bulge Veteran

Director, Producer, Documentarian

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The mission of the American Veterans Center and the World War II Veterans Committee is to preserve and promote the legacy and experiences of America's veterans and active duty service personnel from World War II through today.

A non-profit educational organization, the AVC and WWIIVC are funded solely through generous contributions from people like you. All contributions are tax-deductible.