Tom Clancy, #1 International Bestselling Author, is Spearheading a 'Send a Message to an American Hero' Program That Will Deliver Personal Messages From People Nationwide to Veterans and Active Duty Soldiers Currently Under Care at the Walter Reed Medical Facility

NEW YORK, Nov. 8, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Tom Clancy, the #1 international bestselling author is launching today a national program that encourages the American public to show their support by sending messages of gratitude to veterans and active duty soldiers who are recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the nation's largest military medical facility, and clinical center of gravity of American military medicine.  All costs of the program will be covered by G. P. Putnam's Sons, Mr. Clancy's long-time publisher.  

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101108/NY96961 )

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20101108/NY96961 )

Mr. Clancy, one of the preeminent and most prescient storytellers of our time, is extremely well-known for his deep admiration and respect for our men and women in uniform, whom he holds in the highest esteem.  

Mr. Clancy said: "The U.S. Military is us.  There is no truer representation of a country than the people that it sends into the field to fight for it.  The people who wear our uniform and carry our rifles into combat are our kids, and our job is to support them, because they're protecting us."

The "Send a Message to an American Hero" program not only allows Mr. Clancy to pay tribute to soldiers who put their lives on the line for our country every day, but also provides an opportunity for the American public to send their own messages of thanks and support to a soldier.  

Beginning today, participants can log on to www.penguin.com/americanhero and offer words of inspiration and gratitude to a recovering soldier.  This message will be printed and enclosed inside an autographed copy of Tom Clancy's newest book, featuring an all-star cast, including Jack Ryan, Jack Ryan Jr., and John Clark, among others, and will be given to returning soldiers recovering at Walter Reed as a gift for the holidays, compliments of Tom Clancy and G. P. Putnam's Sons.  Messages will be accepted on a first come, first served basis and will be closed once the 500th message has been received.  Participants will also have the option to post their messages publicly on the above website, which will serve as a digital "guestbook" for the duration of the campaign.  In addition, those who are not among the first 500 participants will still have the opportunity to share their messages with soldiers by contributing to the digital guestbook, which will be accessible to soldiers and all visitors of the site.    

The 500 messages will be inserted onto custom-made bookplates, one message per book, in Tom Clancy-autographed copies of his novel.  The books will then be hand-delivered to soldiers on December 4th, 2010 – just in time for the holidays – as a special part of the Walter Reed Holiday Party, an event that is held annually for current patients and their families.  Additional copies will also be donated to various military medical centers across the country.  

In addition, G. P. Putnam's Sons has also announced a $10,000 donation to The Walter Reed Red Cross.

Tom Clancy's highly-anticipated new novel, Dead or Alive, to be published by G. P. Putnam's Sons on Tuesday, December 7th, is a modern-day techno-thriller like nothing he has ever done before.  A secret U.S. counter-terrorism organization has been waging an unofficial and highly effective campaign against the terrorists who threaten Western civilization.  A sadistic killer who has masterminded the most vicious terrorist attacks on the West has eluded capture by the world's armed forces and law enforcement agencies.  But John Clark, Ding Chavez, Jack Ryan, Jr. and their colleagues will bring him in...dead or alive.  

Note to the Press:

Tom Clancy has written thirteen #1 New York Times bestselling novels, all published by G. P. Putnam's Sons and Berkley Books in the U.S.: The Hunt for Red October (Berkley only, 1985), Red Storm Rising (1986), Patriot Games (1987), The Cardinal of the Kremlin (1988), Clear and Present Danger (1989), The Sum of All Fears (1991), Without Remorse (1993), Debt of Honor (1994), Executive Orders (1996), Rainbow Six (1998), The Bear and the Dragon (2000), Red Rabbit (2002) and The Teeth of the Tiger (2003).

Clancy's New York Times bestselling nonfiction books include Into the Storm: A Study in Command (written with General Fred Franks, Jr., Ret., and Tony Koltz), Every Man a Tiger (written with General Charles Horner, Ret., and Tony Koltz), Shadow Warriors: Inside the Special Forces (written with General Carl Stiner, Ret., and Tony Koltz) and Battle Ready (written with General Tony Zinni, Ret., and Tony Koltz).

Penguin Group (USA) Inc. is the U.S. member of the internationally renowned Penguin Group. Penguin Group (USA) is one of the leading U.S. adult and children's trade book publishers, owning a wide range of imprints and trademarks, including Viking, G. P. Putnam's Sons, The Penguin Press, Riverhead Books, Dutton, Penguin Books, Berkley Books, Gotham Books, Portfolio, New American Library, Plume, Tarcher, Philomel, Grosset & Dunlap, Puffin, and Frederick Warne, among others. The Penguin Group (www.penguin.com) is part of Pearson plc, the international media company.

SOURCE G. P. Putnam's Sons