Remembering Veterans with Stories of War

                   Letters from War Veterans 

LOS ANGELES/LAGUNA BEACH, CA…November 5, 2020: Veteran Actor Dan Lauria has assembled a cast of well-known actors (in addition to himself) who read, in quiet settings, letters written by Veterans, some from warzones, some from unfamiliar places, many written during the lonely hours. Their words take on weight and new meaning.

Each actor will read one letter. Below is the list of actors:

Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad/Beverly Hills Cop) – Veteran Army COL Donald Sandstrom

Kim Brockington (Joker) – Veteran Air Force Capt Joan Arrington

Dan Lauria (Wonders Years/Independence Day) – Veteran Army SGT Rick Seaman

Joe Mantegna (Criminal Minds/Godfather Part III) – Veteran Army CW3 Jim White

Sam McMurray (Jenny's Wedding/Elementary/NCIS/Friends) – Veteran Army CPT Shad Meshad

Lou Diamond Phillips (Courage Under Fire/La Bamba/Blue Bloods) – Veteran Army SP4 Rick  Gallavan

James Pickens (42/Greys Anatomy) – Veteran Army SP5 Mike Maxwell

Reno Wilson (Transformers) – Veteran Marine SSgt Dave Culmer

Lauria, himself a combat Marine Veteran, presents a series of short videos of accomplished actors reading letters written by Veterans from WWII to Vietnam. These letters, written to sweethearts, wives, families, friends and war buddies about their experiences are intimate and honest. The actors read them with reverence and respect, a tribute, on Veterans Day, to the Vets who wrote them. The series debuts on Veterans Day, November 11, on www.nvf.org, website of the National Veterans Foundation, a non-profit veterans service organization now in its 35^th year. 

Lauria serves on the National Veterans Foundation’s Honorary Board. He created the project to raise awareness and support for the National Veterans Foundation’s work to meet the crisis and information needs of all veterans and their families. Founded by Vietnam Veteran, lifetime activist and co-author of the Vet Center Program Shad Meshad, the NVF was the first to offer a toll-free crisis and information hotline for veterans to help them reintegrate into civilian society. In addition to the Lifeline for Vets suicide/crisis hotline, the NVF directs vets to services for PTSD, TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) and MST (Military Sexual Trauma) counseling. 

They also provide information and resources to navigate the VA system, secure housing and employment, among other issues. The NVF’s “vet-to-vet” counseling has become the gold standard for veterans services.

For over 35 years the NVF has served over 450,000 veterans and their families on their Lifeline for Vets, a toll-free hotline that’s Vet-to-Vet. That number is  888.777.4443