Star power is coming to the aid of America's military veterans.
HBO and Starbucks Coffee Company announced today they will host The Concert For Valor is a first-of-its-kind concert to honor the courage and sacrifice of America's veterans and their families on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The concert will be presented live on HBO this Veterans Day, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. EST, reports Music Times.
The concert will feature a broad array of talent from the worlds of music and entertainment, including Carrie Underwood, Zac Brown Band, Eminem, Jamie Foxx, Dave Grohl, Metallica, John Oliver, Rihanna, Bruce Springsteen, as well as special appearances by Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, among many others.
The Concert for Valor will provide a national stage for ensuring that veterans and their families know that their fellow Americans' gratitude is genuine, reports MTV. Millions of people, including veterans, active duty service members, their families and Americans from all walks of life are expected to watch the free concert in person or on television, with the goal of raising awareness for veterans service organizations dedicated to education, wellness, re-employment and reintegration.
The event will be presented from the National Mall between the Capitol and the Washington Monument, and HBO will offer its affiliates the opportunity to open the signal, allowing nonsubscribers to view the special. Former U.S. Secretary of Defense and Starbucks board member Robert Gates and former Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen are serving in an advisory capacity with regard to veterans outreach and veteran service organizations that will be recipients of concert donations.
The live event will be executive produced by Gary Goetzman, Tom Hanks and Joel Gallen, who will also direct. Hanks, who devoted his time and talent to support the construction of the World War II Memorial, has, alongside Goetzman, executive produced such projects as the Emmy-winning HBO miniseries "The Pacific," "Band of Brothers" and "John Adams," as well as the HBO music specials "The 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert" and the recent "2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony," both of which were directed by Gallen.
Last November, Starbucks committed to hiring at least 10,000 veterans and active military spouses over the next five years. In April, the Schultz Family Foundation, co-founded by Howard Schultz and his wife, Sheri, committed $30 million to support veterans' transition to civilian life.
HBO has a long history of original programming devoted to supporting veterans and examining veterans' experiences from diverse perspectives. In addition to the miniseries "Band of Brothers" and "The Pacific," the network has presented the original movies "Taking Chance" and "The Tuskegee Airmen," the miniseries "Generation Kill," and the documentaries "Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq," "Wartorn 1861-2010," "Baghdad ER," "Section 60: Arlington National Cemetery," "Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1" and the upcoming "The Last Patrol," among many others.
While less than one percent of American adults serve in the U.S. military today, there are currently more than 20 million American veterans. This includes more than 2.5 million 9/11-era veterans who are facing a range of challenges as they make the transition back to civilian life, according to a press release about the event.
