Lilly to Recognize Employees Who Have Served Our Country Through the Military

INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. military veterans employed by Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) will be recognized for their service to the country during a special Veterans Recognition Event at the Lilly Corporate Center 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 14. The event is sponsored by the Veterans Leadership Network (VLN), an employee resource group at Lilly, and by Employer Support of the Guard & Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense agency.

The recognition event will honor current Lilly employees who have been activated and deployed in support of military operations since September 11, 2001. More than 100 Lilly employees have mobilized with the U.S. military Reserves or National Guard, including three Lilly employees currently serving on active duty. More than 1,762 months of combined service time has been given by Lilly employees serving in combat operations, nation building activities and humanitarian relief efforts over the last 10 years.

One Lilly employee, Jeffery Maxwell, is expected to return from his current tour of duty in Iraq in time to attend the event. "Americans should be very proud of their military," Maxwell writes from overseas.

The event will feature highlights of Lilly's military heritage, beginning with company founder and Civil War veteran Colonel Eli Lilly in 1876 through the present day. A demonstration of the company's thanks and support for employees who have served in the military following Sept. 11, 2001, and a special recognition by the Department of Defense for Lilly's commitment to military support will round out the program.

John C. Lechleiter, Ph.D., chairman, president and chief executive officer of Lilly, will take part in the ceremonies and will be joined by local dignitaries and key representatives from the military and public sectors.

"It's our great honor to recognize the contributions of these employees, and all veterans, to our country," Lechleiter said. "We also recognize the strengths that veterans bring to our company – characteristics such as leadership, discipline, adaptability to change and a mission-driven focus. These are attributes that make a difference in the military, and they are essential to our company as well."

The VLN fosters opportunities for networking, awareness, recognition and advocacy to address the needs of employee veterans within Lilly. The group is focused on helping veterans who return from active duty reintegrate into their jobs at Lilly.

"The VLN gives us the opportunity to get together and to communicate with each other in a way that really helps returning service members," said Diana Watson, learning and development consultant at Lilly and a staff sergeant in the Army National Guard. "It really is a brotherhood, a sisterhood, because we've all had similar experiences that have shaped us."

Lilly has a long history of supporting programs that help veterans and those currently serving in the military. For example, Lilly has supported a number of initiatives for the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans and HVAF of Indiana, Inc. to help alleviate homelessness among veterans.

In addition, the Lilly Foundation has provided a grant to Give an Hour and the American Psychiatric Foundation to address unmet mental health needs of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The funds are used to recruit and educate volunteer mental-health professionals to bridge the gap in mental-health services for soldiers returning from service, as well as their families.

Veterans Day is officially recognized in the U.S. on Nov. 11. Originally set aside as "Armistice Day" to celebrate the end of World War I, the day was declared a national holiday in 1938 and later renamed Veterans Day in 1954 to honor American veterans of all wars. The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates there are 23 million veterans in the United States, including 500,000 in Indiana.

About Eli Lilly and Company

Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a growing portfolio of pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., Lilly provides answers - through medicines and information - for some of the world's most urgent medical needs. Additional information about Lilly is available at www.lilly.com. C-LLY

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SOURCE Eli Lilly and Company