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Dear Hunter,

As you know, the final troops are coming home from Iraq this week. A few days ago I returned from Iraq and yesterday finished my year long active duty mobilization. Today, I am returning to my role as Chairman of VoteVets.org, and ready for an incredibly active 2012!

First, I want to thank all of you, personally. The road to ending the war in Iraq has been long. When I first helped form VoteVets.org in 2006, it was for a simple reason – many troops and veterans felt the war was wrong, and that it had to be wrapped up so we could focus on al Qaeda and the real threats to America. Together through the years, we've spoken out, run ads, held petition drives, written letters to Congress and newspapers. In election years, we've supported veterans running for office who were committed to ending the war in Iraq, and defeated many politicians who wanted war without end. That all of our remaining troops are coming home this week, and we have indeed taken the fight to al Qaeda by killing Osama bin Laden and other top terrorist leaders is a testament to you. Never doubt that together we have had a huge impact.

I want to thank Ashwin Madia, a fellow Iraq veteran, and the rest of the staff at VoteVets.org and Vet Voice Foundation who worked tirelessly on our mission while I was gone. I also want to thank you for all of your support while I was overseas. Your messages, Facebook posts, emails and tweets helped keep me going. Being away from my family and friends for so long, on my second tour in Iraq was not easy. Your support, though, gave me something to look forward to.

On that note, if you want to send me a message about anything, send a tweet to *@votevets* [ https://twitter.com/votevets ]. Be sure to put my name in it, so I can catch it and read it.

While the end of the war is a joyous occasion, we also need to take a moment to remember the thousands who did not return home, and their families who lost a loved one, as well as the tens of thousands who were wounded in service to America in this war. Their sacrifice was great, and must never, ever be forgotten.

Now we move on to 2012. One of things I've seen upon my return is just how tough things are for veterans coming home. It's always been tough for veterans, but given the state of the economy and our politics, now is even tougher for veterans and military families. The good news is that now more than ever, veterans are ready to get out front and speak loudly in the election year. *This could very well be the year of the veteran.* From jobs and the economy, to budget cuts that hurt veterans, to keeping America secure, veterans and VoteVets.org will be leading the conversation. There are over 100,000 of you on our email list, and we have state captains in states across America. So I know we're going to do big things.

We are ready to go. I hope you are too. Happy Holidays to all of you and your loved ones.

Sincerely,
Jon Soltz
Iraq War Veteran
Chairman, VoteVets.org

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VoteVets.org

[ http://www.facebook.com/pages/VoteVetsorg/8501031021 ] [ http://www.twitter.com/votevets ] [ http://www.youtube.com/votevets ]

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