 In addition to illustrating the bravery and sacrifices of our nation's veterans, the FIM has a special give-back mission. It was my honor to endorse former DAV National Chaplain Ron Chappy-Ringo as a subject matter expert to help lead this effort. As Ron told me, the producers and cast of Hacksaw Ridge are committed to using the movie to make communities aware of the issues veterans face after surviving the horrors of war. Ron will be working with DAV and community groups at the grassroots level to educate and encourage people to welcome veterans home and show their appreciation in meaningful ways. Here to add a few words are two Hollywood heavyweights who are using their celebrity and the FIM to bring greater awareness to the issues veteran face. And I told you ladies and gentlemen I got a surprise for you. Let's give a round warm welcome to the FIM's director and one of its stars, Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn. Well thank you, thanks for the warm welcome. I can't tell you how proud and privileged I am to be in the presence of veterans and I just you know first off want to just say thank you for your service and thank you for your sacrifice. You know because of your sacrifice I didn't have to go you know but over the years and even as a young man I've talked to veterans when I was a kid I was talking to the World War I guys and getting their stories because as research and it took me on this journey of discovery about the experience of men who have to go into these conflicts and the women who have to go into these conflicts and the families of the people that go into these conflicts and gave me a special understanding my dad was in you know Guadalcanal so there's the World War two guys I spoke into and there's the Vietnam guys when I work with General Moore on We Were Soldiers and the and I was struck with with every generation that I've spoken to by the indelible mark left on their hearts and and minds and souls by the experiences they went through and how underserved they are in in sort of dealing with being helped to deal with these issues and it's certainly my hope that making this film and we showed it to 200 of your leaders last night it was an unfinished version but I was gratified to see that many found it cathartic and helpful as far as the issue of PTSD and just you know dealing with with the experiences of the hellish experiences of war and I made it graphic so that people would really be able to appreciate what it must be like to be in a situation like that so it's my hope that this film will bring awareness to the plight of veterans and it's it's underserved and and our stories and art and film can actually change things so that's my hope and with the help of all of you and Ron Ringo and and and commander Macintosh here and and folks like that we can actually get more awareness and and and do something and make make a difference thanks it's great to be with you guys my father was in the service so as my sister a lot of my family members where I've been overseas to Iraq and Afghanistan with the USO many times so I was really thrilled to be included in this with such great directors Mel bringing it attention to these stories and you know with with coming out November and that being Veterans Day hopefully in a in a small way this will bring some awareness and be a celebration of all the the great sacrifice and great things that all of you have given to us so thanks so much and great to be with you thank you