Celebration of Freedom Campaign for World War II Memorial

Members of the New York State Funeral Directors Association, in cooperation with the American Battle Monuments Commission and the National Funeral Directors Association, are participating in a nation-wide campaign to raise funds to build a magnificent memorial in Washington, DC honoring those who served in World War II either in the armed forces or on the home front. The memorial will occupy a 7.4 acre site on the National Mall between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.

The Memorial was first proposed by the late Roger Durbin, a World War II tank mechanic, who appeared in 1987 before a Congressional hearing in Washington to convince legislators that a memorial was long overdue. He feared that most of the men
and women who fought and died in World War II would perish before they could be remembered. Durbin lived to see his dream becoming reality when Senator Robert Dole and other prominent Americans formed a committee to raise the necessary funds for the Memorial.

You can help build this long overdue tribute to the individual Americans who helped winWorld War II by making a tax-deductible contribution to sponsor the November 11th balloon launch, or by submitting a name for inclusion in the Registry of Remembrances.

As part of the funeral industry's Celebration of Freedom, colorful red, white and blueballoons will be released on Veteran's Day. (They're biodegradable and approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency.) Sponsor a balloon in memory of a World War
II veteran, a worker on the home front, or simply because you value the freedom they won for you, your children and your grandchildren.

You may also make a Celebration of Freedom contribution which will entitle you to list your own name, or that of a loved one, family member or friend on the World War II Registry of Remembrances. Any individual American who participated in the war effort is eligible for inclusion in the Registry which will be kept on display in Washington, DC so that future generations will always remember the sacrifices of America's World War II generation.

In addition to the magnificent balloon launch on Veteran's Day, November 11th, there will be many other local events to celebrate this very special "thank you" to those who helped win World War II.

For more information on local events or how you can participate in Celebration of Freedom activities, please contact your local funeral home or the New York State Funeral Directors Association at 1-800-291-2629 or visit the National Funeral Directors Association at www.nfda.org.

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