BEN STEIN'S LAST COLUMN... MILITARY HEROES

I wanted to send a short note of thanks to everyone who has faithfully prayed from Great Americans as we have labored to build our movement amid the worst economy of our lifetime. The Sahara desert is not a favorable environment in which to plant. But we have persevered because our nation – and the next generation – are currently being poisoned through the examples and role models they are being offered by the culture.

By way of thanks, I thought I would share this short segment from Ben Stein’s last column – in which he ended a long tradition of writing a regular pieces on the American entertainment scene:

How can a man or woman who makes an eight-figure wage and lives in insane luxury really be a star in today's world, if by a 'star' we mean someone bright and powerful and attractive as a role model? Real stars are not riding around in the backs of limousines or in Porsches or getting trained in yoga or Pilates and eating only raw fruit while they have Vietnamese girls do their nails.

A real star is the soldier of the 4th Infantry Division who poked his head into a hole on a farm near Tikrit, Iraq. He could have been met by a bomb or a hail of AK-47 bullets. Instead, he faced an abject Saddam Hussein -- and the gratitude of all of the decent people of the world.

A real star, the kind who haunts my memory night and day, is the U.S. soldier in Baghdad who saw a little girl playing with a piece of unexploded ordinance on a street near where he was guarding a station. He pushed her aside and threw himself on it just as it exploded. He left a family desolate in California and a little girl alive in Baghdad.

The stars who deserve media attention are not the ones who have lavish weddings on TV -- but the ones who patrol the streets of Mosul even after two of their buddies were murdered and their bodies battered and stripped for the sin of trying to protect Iraqis from terrorists.

We put couples with incomes of $100 million a year on the covers of our magazines. The noncoms and officers who barely scrape by on military pay but stand on guard in Afghanistan and Iraq and on ships and in submarines and near the Arctic Circle are anonymous as they live and die.

I am no longer comfortable being a part of the system that has such poor values.

There are plenty of other stars in the American firmament...the policemen and women who go off on patrol in South Central and have no idea if they will return alive; the orderlies and paramedics who bring in people who have been in terrible accidents and prepare them for surgery. Think of each and every fireman who was running up the stairs at the World Trade Center as the towers began to collapse. Now you have my idea of a real hero.

A life lived to help others is the only one that matters. It is my duty, in return for the lavish life God has devolved upon me, to help others He has placed in my path. This is my highest and best use as a human.

I recently had the opportunity to meet dozens of “real stars” like this when interviewing Army combat veterans at Fort Leavenworth. You can’t avoid being changed for the better by meeting them. And this is what Great Americans exists to do – on a larger scale – with the American People.

Matt Daniels, J.D., Ph.D.
Founder

THE GREATAMERICANS.COM  2009 MILITARY VIDEOGRAPHER AWARDS

Sponsored by Great Americans and the GI Film Festival

Several awards will be given to military videographers who best capture the service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform through videos uploaded to GreatAmericans.com.  The top-rated video award* will be presented at the GI Film Festival in Washington, DC.

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CINCHOUSE WINNERS ANNOUNCED IN GREAT AMERICANS AWARDS PROGRAM

Military spouses who proudly share video of their service members to receive national recognition

WASHINGTON, DC – GreatAmericans.com and its partner, CinCHouse.com announced today the first winner of its online patriotism awards program. In honor of Valentine’s Day, GreatAmericans.com asked proud military spouses to showcase their service members by uploading their exemplary stories. Amie Hodgin, whose video was most viewed, payed tribute to her husband by posting the We Love Our Hero tribute. Amie will receive special recognition as the winner of the Great Americans Award and is the recipient of a flip video camera.

Cheryl Gasner uploaded video about her husband, who was injured while seving in Iraq. Her video shows her husband waterskiing, demonstrating how he has overcome great obstacles. Cheryl won the CincHouse.com drawing and will also receive a flip video camera.

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GREAT AMERICANS PARTNERS WITH 1-800-Flowers.com

Great Americans Recognition created for American role models and heroes - America’s Patriotism Portal partners with top online floral retailer

WASHINGTON, DC – GreatAmericans Network, America’s online patriotism portal with a mission to inspire our nation with videos about great americans, announces a new partnership with 1-800-Flowers.com.  The flower company will offer a discount to customers as a way to engage in the Great Americans movement.
Great Americans is a movement to celebrate citizens in every area of society whose lives offer a positive example to others.  As the first step in the pursuit of this vision, GreatAmericans.com focuses on the men and women who serve our nation in uniform. “Great Americans celebrates the many ordinary people who do extraordinary things for the sake of others and our country,” said Matt Daniels, founder of GreatAmericans.com.  “GreatAmericans.com is an effort to use the power of the Internet to introduce our society and our young people to better examples.  We are fortunate to partner with Jim McCann and his wonderful team at 1-800-flowers.com in this new initiative.”

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GREAT AMERICANS SALUTES AFRICAN AMERICAN MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS DURING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Meet the two living African American recipients of the highest Armed Forces award given by our country

WASHINGTON, DC - Beginning February 1, 2009, GreatAmericans.com will feature the life histories of Vernon Baker and Clarence Sasser – the only two living African American recipients of the Medal of Honor. The Medal of Honor is awarded in the name of Congress to a person who, while a member of the Armed Services, distinguishes himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity for the United States at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.  First Lieutenant Vernon J. Baker of the 370th Infantry Regiment, 92nd Infantry Division was awarded the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary heroism in action on April 5 and 6 of 1945 during a World War II battle in Viareggio, Italy. He demonstrated outstanding courage and leadership as a member of the U.S. Army during his company’s attack against a strongly entrenched enemy in mountainous terrain.  Specialist Fifth Class Clarence Eugene Sasser received the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary heroism with the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War in January 1968. Sp5c. Sasser distinguished himself as a medical aidman with Headquarters Company, 3d Battalion, 60th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division during a reconnaissance in force operation.  “These are just two of the many inspiring stories of Medal of Honor recipients,” said Lt. General Nicholas Kehoe, President of Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation. “ Vernon Baker and Clarence Sasser are shining examples of heroism at it’s best and we are honored to have Great Americans feature their stories of personal bravery and self-sacrifice during Black History Month.”

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GREAT AMERICANS LAUNCHES ON VETERANS DAY

New website features American role models and heroes in uniform

WASHINGTON, DC - GreatAmericans.com, an online patriotism portal with a mission to inspire America with videos telling the stories of Great Americans, launches on Veterans Day, November 11, 2008. Matt Daniels, J.D., PhD, created the Great Americans movement to share the stories of positive role models, something he worked hard to find in his personal life. Daniels grew up on welfare in Spanish Harlem with a disabled single mother. He attended inner city schools in a neighborhood with one of the highest violent crime rates in New York City. The purpose of Great Americans is to celebrate people in every area of society whose lives offer a positive example to others. As the first step in the pursuit of this vision, GreaAmericans.com focuses on the men and women who serve our nation in uniform. “The mission of Great Americans is to tell the stories of the positive role models of our time,” said Daniels. “What better place to start than with the stories of men and women in uniform who put their lives at risk to protect the rest of us, both at home and abroad.” Visitors can login and upload videos or simply check out the website for segments featuring military, law enforcement, fire/rescue, NASA, Homeland Security and everyday American heroes. An interactive forum allows visitors to comment on subjects ranging from their military experience, a specific video or current affairs. The website also features an online memorial to American heroes in uniform.