visiting wounded warriors

I'm excited. Just got off the telephone with Sergeant Brian Pierce at Walter Reed Medical Center. He is the hospital's guy who arranges visits to wounded warriors. My first opportunity to visit with them is at 11 a.m. August 18th.

I'm pleased that OurFinest.Org gets "official visit" status. They have reserved a parking spot for me at the army hospital and an ambassador will meet me and get me oriented and introduced.

I want to thank God for giving me this opportunity to serve those who have sacrificed so much for our country. I am very grateful for the chance to perhaps make a difference in the lives of young people who deserve the best.

It's odd how much I appreciate the chance to serve military veterans who have been injured. I have never been very generous to official charities. In fact, I've probably not been very generous at all. I have walked by many begging evidently homeless people. I confess to exchanging harsh words with a young male begging on the street in downtown Washington who said something rude when I didn't give him any money. He looked perfectly strong and healthy to me and jumped up ready to fight when I suggested that he "go get a job."

But when it comes to injured troops and helping veterans who went in harm's way for their nation, it's a different thing. These are guys I KNOW need help and deserve not just charity but a helping hand.

I'm also excited about the TV commercial that Jim Draper and Ruthy Stapleton and I are putting together. It is really neat that technology has advanced to the point that from our home computers we can collaborate to produce a low cost and effective TV commercial. We are going to be able to distribute the 30-second PSA (public service announcement) to the top 200 stations in the country.

We are also writing and distributing 30-second radio spots to send to the nation's 10,000 radio stations.

The idea is to make people aware that our wounded heroes need help, that once they are discharged from the Walter Reed Medical Center, they are almost entirely on their own. The 30 second PSAs will invite people to visit our website (www.OurFinest.Org) where they will learn more about the need and what they can do to help. I hope their interaction with the community I am seeking to organize there will make them want to communicate with these veterans.

Other things I am working on: writing grant proposals and thinking how to recruit thousands of people to each help get one of these wounded veterans a job. While physically handicapped, these wounded warriors have wonderful qualities of character that make them great employees and -- I believe -- terrific candidates as entrepreneurs as well.