Via HRC:

Dear Daniel,

Over 300 veterans like me will be in D.C. on Tuesday, fighting to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." We need your help in Sacramento to call Congress and join the conversation online! www.VeteransLobbyDay.org

Late Friday afternoon, Defense Secretary Robert Gates told Congress in a letter that it would be "damaging" to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" before the Pentagon studies it further.

While this presents a major challenge, it is not insurmountable. I've never seen my fellow veterans – both gay and straight – so determined to repeal this law. This challenge can mean only one thing: we need to push harder.

That's why I'm traveling to D.C. for an unprecedented Veterans Lobby Day with over 300 fellow veterans on May 11.

We're going to need all hands on deck this Tuesday – even if you aren't joining us in person, we're still counting on you to back up our message:

· Set aside a few minutes to make a call to Congress. Help us flood the Congressional switchboard (202-224-3121) with calls this Tuesday, May 11. Put a reminder in your calendar or on your phone today so you won't forget!

· Follow me and other vets on Twitter to get real-time updates from our meetings with members of Congress. Just follow David Hall (@davidhalldc), Mike Almy (@mikealmy), Brian Fricke (@brianfricke), me (@EricAlvaUSMC) or @HRCBackStory.

· Join the conversation on Twitter and call for the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" by including #DADT in your tweets between now and Tuesday. (It's easy to sign up for a Twitter account if you don't already have one.)

· Follow the action on the HRC Back Story blog. You can read:

o HRC Field Organizer Adrian Matanza's post from Indiana, where volunteers are organizing a free bus to D.C. for veterans in Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia.

o And follow HRC Back Story throughout the Lobby Day on May 11, when we'll be posting highlights from the lobby day as soon as they come in.

May 11 will be a milestone in my own three-year campaign to share my story and help repeal this discriminatory law. And I've seen first-hand how important this campaign is to hundreds of my fellow veterans.

Your voice on Tuesday can add strength to ours.

I hope you'll stand with me, and with all my brothers and sisters in uniform, as we fight to end this injustice once and for all.

Sincerely,

Eric Alva
Retired Marine Staff Sergeant
Veterans Lobby Day Volunteer