The American Legion joins Coalition to honor veterans at Disney World event

The American Legion is teaming up with the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes to stage the 6th annual Road to Recovery Conference and Tribute at Walt Disney World's Swan Resort in Orlando, Fla. The Dec. 12-16 event will host more than 400 guests, including many veterans who were severely wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The five-day event promises to make the educational and motivational sessions better than ever for the attendees. They will be treated to a unique, all-expenses-paid program designed to encourage them to look to the future with hope and optimism. Other conference sponsors include General Motors, T-Mobile, Northrup Grumman and Humana Military.

The schedule includes some 40 hours of seminars, workshops and panel discussions devoted to enhancing personal relationships and providing information on benefits, services, insurance, healthcare, financial support and employment opportunities. Experts from government, the private sector and non-profit groups will be on hand to offer advice and guidance on resume writing, career counseling and other topics.

Such a "one-stop shopping" approach is what enticed The American Legion to become involved with the Road to Recovery event, said Peter Gaytan, the Legion's executive director in Washington.

"The Road to Recovery Conference and Tribute is an excellent opportunity to showcase many resources available for these brave servicemen and women who have given so much for their country," Gaytan said. "We want to impress upon the attendees that their sacrifices have not been forgotten, and to help them lead fulfilling, productive lives."

American Legion national staff members will speak at the conference, and Legionnaires will provide follow-up services to veterans and families attending the event.

Roger Chapin, president of the Coalition, said "We are both honored and delighted that The American Legion has chosen to partner with us in presenting this important event. From past conferences, we know that veterans and their families have found their participation to be valuable in many ways. With the expertise the Legion is prepared to contribute, we expect that to be especially true this year."

Besides the educational aspects of the conference, attendees will enjoy a number of other benefits, including family activities and special entertainment. Among those already scheduled to perform is the Lt. Dan Band, led by actor Gary Sinise, star of the CSI: New York television series and an Academy Award nominee for his role as Lt. Dan Taylor in the movie Forrest Gump.

Throughout the conference, veterans will have plenty of time to share their experiences and understand that, as one recent attendee put it, "you're not alone in going through this journey."

For more information on the Road to Recovery conference, and criteria for being invited to attend, contact the Coalition at (914) 432-5400 or visit its website at www.saluteheroes.org.

 About The American LegionWith a current membership of 2.4 million wartime veterans, The American Legion is the nation's largest veterans organization. It was founded in 1919 on the four pillars of a strong national security, veterans affairs, Americanism and youth programs. Legionnaires work for the betterment of their communities through more than 14,000 posts across the nation.For more information about The American Legion and its programs to help veterans, servicemembers and their families, go to www.legion.org.

About the Coalition to Salute America's HeroesThe Coalition to Salute America's Heroes is a leading non-profit organization dedicated tohelping severely wounded troops from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The mission of the organization is to enable these servicemen and women to transition from the battlefront to the home front and to provide them and their families with the assistance needed to get their lives back on track.

For more information on how the CSAH can help you or to learn how you can help, please visit the organization's website at www.saluteheroes.org.

Media contacts: Marty Callaghan, The American Legion, at mcallaghan@legion.org or 202-215-8644.

Chip Warren, Coalition to Salute America's Heroes, at cwarren@saluteheroes.org or 203-645-4529.