Jerry Castillo Founder USFallen.org

During my 30-year work experience, I applied my skills in the corporate-world by developing presentations, training tools, company brands and enhancing special events.  In 2008, the plunging economy forced many companies, including my former employer, to cut their training and multimedia budgets.

With time on hands, I discovered that I could recount an event or life story through multimedia for friends and family. Initially, my challenge was how to showcase my work.  Having served in military, I decided to explore the subject.  Research revealed mainstream media devotes little or no airtime on our fallen troops and only small town print-media covers a heroes’ passing.  This disappointment made me determine to provide fallen soldiers a standard of recognition that they all deserve by producing a weekly video that lists the names, pictures and the circumstance of their death and post them on the internet as a patriotic service.

I began posting videos of our fallen in June 2009, as a way of showing my support for our troops and provide a service that main-stream media has overlooked. As a result, the response from the public and military veterans is very positive and overwhelming. Weekly viewership quickly went from a couple of hundred to several thousand and I began to receive comments and emails of gratitude. The viewership and comments confirmed the public’s desire and need to pay their respects to our fallen.

In August, 2009 I established USFallen.org as a small charity and created an on-line network (a website, two video channels, Facebook page, Twitter and Flickr accounts) to build public awareness of the videos and photos of our fallen. When soldiers from my area were killed in action; I filmed their military funerals and homecomings. Though these are sad events, families and communities view them as beautiful, solemn, dignified events. I began to hear from a vast array of people unable to attend these services; including the physically challenged or ill, family members unable to travel, and active military personnel. These video presentations afforded them the opportunity to participate and pay their final respects.

In the past five months I produced over 40 weekly episodes and 10 special presentations. These productions have been viewed over 145,000 times by a global audience. Viewers nominated USFallen.org channels for Mashable/Motorola Open Web Awards 2009 in the categories of Best YouTube Channel and Best On-line Series. Some of the videos have made it to the front pages of Digg.com, AOL News, YouTube News, countless blogs, and on-line, small town newspapers.

I am ready to take USFallen.org to the next level. I’ve been invited to solicit support from foundations and sponsors to continue my work. To do so I need to secure funding to file for 501(c)3 status and upgrade filming equipment.

I will continue to do my part; all I ask is for you to contribute what you can, so I can continue to pay tribute to the brave men and women of our armed forces and their families. Please take a moment to make your donation today and please share my cause with your friends.

For more information please submit an email form here.