This Saturday, Sept. 24, a contingent of over 250 military families from 42 states and the District of Columbia will join Iraq War Veterans and Veterans from previous wars, to march among tens of thousands of people from across the country in a massive march and rally against the Iraq War, organized by United for Peace and Justice.

WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 24, 10 a.m. EDT

WHAT: Media Availability: Military Families Available for Interview before massive march and rally

WHO: Military Families with loved ones in Iraq, about to deploy or redeploy to Iraq; and Gold Star Families whose loved ones died as a result of the war in Iraq. Families will be forming up for contingent that also includes Iraq War and other Veterans.

WHERE: 15th St. and Constitution Ave., NW, behind the Camp Casey D.C. Memorial Tent and the Arlington West Memorial for the fallen.

Available for Interview:

The following military and Gold Star families will be participating in the march and rally on Saturday and are available for interview. For a full list of those available for interview, see http://www.mfso.org

Nancy Lessin and Charley Richardson of Boston, Massachusetts whose son served with the Marines in Iraq in spring, 2003. He is now in the Individual Ready Reserves and eligible for re-deployment. Nancy and Charley are co-founders of Military Families Speak Out, which began with two families in November, 2002, and currently has a membership of 2,500 military families.

Amy Campbell-Pittz of Antioch, Tennessee whose husband, a Sergeant in the Army, deployed for Iraq three days ago, on September 21, 2005. Her uncle is a Colonel in the Marines, and is currently serving his second tour of duty in Iraq.

Connie Cominsky of St. Louis, Missouri whose step-son, niece and nephew serve in the military; some have served multiple tours of duty in Iraq; one is scheduled to be newly deployed. Her brother recently received an honorable discharge from the Marine Corps; he too had served in Iraq.

Linda Englund of Chicago, Illinois whose son served in Iraq in the Army from February to December, 2004, and was wounded. He received two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star; he is currently stationed in Germany and may be re-deployed to Iraq.

Monica Evans of Mililani, Hawaii whose husband, an officer in the Army, recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq.

H. Elaine Johnson of Orangeburg, South Carolina whose son Spc. Darius Jennings, was killed in action in Iraq on November 2, 2003 when his Chinook helicopter was shot down, taking his life and the lives of fifteen other soldiers.

Dexter and Gretchen Kamilewicz of Orr's Island, Maine whose son is in the Vermont National Guard and has been serving in Ramadi, Iraq since July, 2005. Their son's unit was going on missions with unarmored humvees. Their son's notification of his Congressional delegation resulted in the unit being provided with armored humvees, which recently saved his life as well as the lives of others in his unit.

Kevin, Joyce, and Debra Lucey of Belchertown, Massachusetts. Kevin and Joyce's son and Debra's brother , Cpl. Jeffrey Lucey, served in the Marine Reserves during the invasion of Iraq in spring and summer, 2003. He began showing symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder within six months of his return from Iraq. On June 22, 2004 his father found him hanging by a garden hose from the rafters in their basement.

Anne Roesler of Saratoga, California whose son, a Staff Sergeant in the 82nd Airborne Division, based at Ft. Bragg, left on August 31, 2005 for his third deployment to Iraq.

Diane Davis Santoriello and Neil A. Santoriello Sr. of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania whose son, 1st Lt. Neil Santoriello served in the Army's 1 Division 34th Armored A company and was killed in action in Iraq on August 13, 2004.

Catherine Smith of Liberty, Missouri whose oldest son, Tomas Young, served in the Army and was paralyzed in Iraq. Her second son is deploying in November, 2004. Tomas and his wife will be accompanying Catherine to Washington, D.C. for the demonstration.

Beatriz Saldizar of Ft. Worth, Texas whose nephew Daniel Torres was killed when an IED exploded and hit his unarmored humvee in Baygii, Iraq on February 4, 2005. He was on his second tour of duty, and was in Iraq because of a stop-loss order. His wife just had their baby in September, 2005. Beatriz participated in the Bring Them Home Now Tour -- see http://www.bringthemhomenowtour.org -- from Crawford, TX to Washington, D.C. Beatriz can do interviews in English and Spanish.

Kellisa Stanley of Killeen (Ft. Hood), Texas whose husband has served a one-year tour of duty in Iraq and is due to redeploy to Iraq later this year. Kellisa participated in the Bring Them Home Now Tour and was on the Central Bus across the U.S. from Crawford, TX to Washington, D.C.

Denise Thomas of Atlanta, Georgia whose daughter served in the Army and was sent to Baghdad despite being pronounced "medically unfit" and "undeployable" by two Army doctors. She returned home, but may be re-deployed in the future. Denise’s husband also serves in the Army and may deploy in the future.

Phil and Linda Waste of Hinesville, Georgia whose three sons and two grandchildren are active-duty military. Together they have served a total of 58 months on tours of duty in Iraq. Several are currently serving in Iraq, and have served extended and multiple deployments. The Wastes participated in the Bring Them Home Now Tour and road on the Southern Bus across the U.S. from Crawford, TX to Washington, D.C.

Joe Wyatt and son Daniel Wyatt of Hurricane, West Virginia. Daniel Wyatt received an honorable discharge from the US Marine Corps in February, 2005 after serving two tours in Iraq. The first tour was during the initial invasion of Baghdad; his unit suffered two casualties. His second tour was in the Anbar Province on the Syrian border, in the town of al Qaim; his unit there suffered 29 casualties.

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