[Urban picture]


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From: Matt Urban Memorial Committee

Subject: Action requested

I'm writing on behalf of the Matt Urban Memorial Committee, which was formed late last year for the purpose of helping to bring greater national recognition to the heroism and accomplishments of World War II hero, Lieutenant Colonel Matt Urban (1919-1995), the most highly decorated soldier in American military history.

This year marks 70 years since Urban, then an infantry captain, performed the heroic actions that earned him the Medal of Honor and numerous other awards. The MUMC, a Michigan-based group formed at the initiative of two distinguished retired military officers, has two objectives:

1. Persuading the Advisory Committee on Arlington National Cemetery to place Lt. Col. Urban's name on Arlington's Notable Graves list (which is part of the information given to visitors at the cemetery);

2. Honoring Lt. Col. Urban with a special military ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, DC, on August 23, 2014.

You can support the first (and most immediate) objective by adding your voice to the petition process. Simply go to the MUMC website and choose one of the three options for sending a message to the Arlington National Cemetery.

The MUMC website is at: http://matturbanmemorialcommittee.us/

Matt Urban earned a total of 29 medals for heroism and leadership, among them the Medal of Honor, two Silver Stars, three Bronze Stars and seven Purple Hearts, as well as French and Belgian awards. He was a quintessentially American hero, the son of middle-class, hard-working immigrants from Poland. He excelled academically and athletically, became a soldier and distinguished himself in combat against an evil ideology.

After the war he lived in Michigan, where he served as city recreation director for Port Huron, director of the Monroe community center and director of the Holland recreation department. Throughout his life, he mentored and inspired young Americans by his example, and he remained active in veteran's affairs. Matt Urban died in Holland, Michigan, on March 4, 1995, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Your support for in the campaign to add Matt Urban's grave to Arlington's Notable Graves list is appreciated. Please share this email with others who may be interested in participating in this worthy effort. (Information about the Aug. 23 ceremony at Arlington will be published later.)

Andy