Beefy Marines Strut Their Stuff for Charity

Rudy Reyes, a United States Marine who served two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, is proud to be featured on the cover of a calendar that will help other soldiers and their families. "It’s a stopgap effort to help people where government programs leave off," said Reyes. "This is a way for citizens to help citizens."

The "2007 America's Heroes Reconnaissance Marines Calendar" is being sold by Freedom is Not Free, a nonprofit group that helps injured service members and their families with such expenses as travel, mortgage and utility bills and special beds for burn victims. The group, based in San Diego, was founded last year by entrepreneur David Dominguez and one of his clients, Jean Hamerslag, a California advertising executive who suggested that the organization’s fundraising efforts could be boosted by something that would grab the attention of the public.

The Marines featured in the calendar, including Reyes, served in Iraq in Marine reconnaissance units, and two were wounded there. Sgt. James Wright, 31, lost his hands and part of his leg while serving in Iraq. Wright appears in full uniform on the back cover, saluting with the remaining part of his left arm. Several other members of the group said they have a variety of medical conditions that range from combat-stress related symptoms to chronic injuries to knees, hips, feet, and backs from carrying combat loads of more than 200 pounds.

The website for Freedom Is Not Free states: "More than 18,000 service men and women have been injured in the war, and more than 2,600 have given their lives for our freedom. Many of the wounded are young and face an entire lifetime of "healing" and coping with disabilities. Regardless of partisan or political views, our country recognizes the need to aid our service men and women who endure great sacrifice to protect our freedom."

Dominguez says there is a great need for money to help veterans when they return from tours of duty. "Some Iraq veterans are so depressed when they get back they can’t even fill out the papers required for benefits." Production expenses for creating the calendars have been covered by private donations to Freedom Is Not Free. The calendar sells for $14.99 and the group promises that "100 percent of proceeds aid wounded heroes and their families."