Dear Patriotic American, Recently I sent you an e-mail alerting you that many of our troops injured in Afghanistan or Iraq can't even afford to feed their families this Christmas. And since I know you support our severely wounded troops, I thought I would ask you just once more for your help. As I mentioned, the 2011 Emergency Christmas Meals Project, sponsored by the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes, provides $60 to seriously injured troops so they can provide their families with meals over the three-day Christmas weekend. A gift of $120 can help feed TWO families, $180 can help provide dinner for THREE families, and so on. Your first Christmas gift of the year could also be the one that is appreciated the most, because it is desperately needed. When you donate, a MERRY CHRISTMAS and GET WELL card will also be sent, on your behalf, to a serviceman or woman who has been severely burned, blinded, paralyzed or suffered another disabling injury while serving our nation. Your MERRY CHRISTMAS and GET WELL card can let a wounded hero know you're thankful for the sacrifices that he or she made. My name is Major General John K. Singlaub, U.S. Army (Ret.), and I'm sending you this e-mail because I understand you support patriotic causes. I served during three wars, and now I'm working with the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes, an excellent non-profit organization that provides emergency financial aid to troops severely wounded in Afghanistan or Iraq. So far, the Coalition's generous donors have responded with emergency financial aid to more than 24,800 cases of our wounded troops and families. Along the way, we have dedicated more than $24 million in emergency financial aid and other support services. That means your tax-deductible Christmas gift can make a real difference. This Christmas Season our supporters will be rushing to the rescue of disabled military heroes like retired Army Sgt. Andrew Berry, whose photo appears above. The bomb blast that hit Andrew in Iraq caused a brain injury that left him blind and deaf on his right side. "Christmas is my hardest thing because money is so tight," says Andrew, shown above, attending the Coalition's 2010 Road to Recovery Conference and Tribute. "I try to explain to my four boys that Daddy only has so much money to pay bills and for food." I hope you'll help by making a tax-deductible Christmas donation of $60 or more right now. Because of the sluggish government bureaucracy, and as reported by the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, our wounded troops are waiting more than one year, on average, to receive their first disability check after leaving the hospital and being separated from the military. Plus, many troops who have been blinded, brain-damaged or suffered other debilitating wounds, can't take care of themselves, so their spouses quit their jobs to take care of them. Others have cut back to part-time hours to become caregivers. Additionally, with the national unemployment rate around 9 percent, many spouses who are able to work have lost their jobs as well. Their family income plummets – and soon they are struggling to pay for food and rent. Can you imagine a better Christmas gift for our military heroes than helping them feed their families? I sure can't! Our servicemen and women who have been paralyzed, blinded, brain-damaged or suffered from another disabling injury, won't have the same kind of Christmas you and I will, no matter what. But your kindness and generosity can make their Christmas the best it can be, given the circumstances. Please make a generous, tax-deductible donation to help those who have made a painful, lifelong sacrifice while protecting your family's freedom. Your patriotism and kindness are deeply appreciated. Major General John K. Singlaub U.S. Army (Ret.) P.S. Remember this is your last chance to make a tax-deductible Christmas donation to the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes. The Coalition's 2011 Emergency Christmas Meals Project provides $60 to seriously injured troops so they can provide their families with meals over the three-day Christmas weekend. A gift of $120 can help feed TWO families, $180 can help provide dinner for THREE families, and so on. Don't forget, when you donate, a MERRY CHRISTMAS and GET WELL card will be sent, on your behalf, to a serviceman or woman injured in Afghanistan or Iraq (or another military veteran). Your card will let an American hero know you're grateful for his or her sacrifice.