WATCH
30-Second ONF TV commercials with Lee Greenwood that aired on Lifetime TV, and
other national and local networks in 2009 as public service announcements (PSAs).
Listen to a 30-Second PSA Radio Message by Lee Greenwood that aired Nationally 2008 by
Clear Channel Radio and Other Stations.
Lucy Ann Lance Show / Aired Veteran's Day, 2009:
Listen to a 20-Minute Interview with
Linda Kelly, Gold Star Mom Peg O'Donnell and Lee Greenwood, Hosted by the Lucy Ann Lance
Show, that aired in November, 2009 (Link To Come).
Southern Michigan Radio / Aired September 21/22, 2007:ONF founder Linda Kelly
interviewed on WJR-AM Radio 760, with popular radio talk personality Frank Beckman, Detroit.
The following day, another interview with Kelly aired on WWJ News Radio 950. Both interviews
introduced ONF’s mission and kickoff with a flyover banner at the U of Michigan football game.
Veterans Radio KIXW-AM 960 / Aired June 28 and October 4, 2008:
Kelly interviewed with
Dale Throneberry on Veterans Radio which is America’s favorite veteran’s radio program with
an audience of more than 100,000 listeners. The program is heard on stations in Michigan,
Florida, Louisiana and California, plus a worldwide audience on Veterans Radio,
VeteransRadio.net
New York, Times Square Was At The 2007 Thanksgiving Day Parade:
Spectacolor, a
partner of Clear Channel Outdoor,
helped launch ONF’s
first campaign in New York's Times
Square during the famous holiday parade! The audiovisual can be seen at the
ONFBroadcast Gallery.
Other cities followed to include Columbus, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, Minneapolis,
Santa Fe, Orlando, Los Angeles, Detroit, Cleveland, Memphis, Tampa Bay, Wichita, Milwaukee,
Des Moines and Madison. Thank you billboard companies for helping us make the difference for
our service members, veterans and military families!
ONF Digital Billboards Continued To Roll-Out Across the Nation:ONF continues to be
seen on highways and in major cities to include airports! Here is an example of ONF billboards
with Lee Greenwood that were posted in cities of his concerts.
ONF Billboards in Nashville February, 2009 Ran a Spectacular Display:Lamar Outdoor
has contributed thousands of ONF billboard impressions throughout the Midwest.
Las Vegas Started Posting ONF October, 2007:Clear Channel Outdoor, Las Vegas
contributed electronic space in front of Paradise Hotel, Tropicana, Flamingo, Swenson, Sahara
and along Interstate 215 near Warm Springs Road, Jones Road, Rainbow Road and Interstate
515 at Russell Road. The Las Vegas campaigns were seen by over 700,000 viewers per day.
Kansas City Ran the American Idol Campaign in 2009:Magic Media contributed digital
billboard space during the popular "American Idol" TV program as seen below. Other billboard
companies followed their lead. Many of these "Real American Idol" campaigns can be seen
throughout the ONFBillboard Gallery for Deployed Troops.
Great Falls, Montana Posting October, 2009:
After Lamar Outdoor
ran ONF campaigns
throughout big cities, they've grown with digital billboard capability throughout the country to
include smaller cities.
Madison, Wisconsin Ran the First Gold and Blue Star Campaigns July, 2008:
After Adams Outdoor
posted Gold Star and Blue Star billboards, ONF developed the
gold star families billboard project.
Since then, Clear Channel Outdoor,
Lamar Outdoor and other billboard
companies joined the efforts in posting these honorable messages in the cities of surviving
families to help keep the memories of loved ones alive.
ONF Has Been In International Airports Since 2008:Clear Channel Airports have
contributed backlit sign space at Detroit Metro, Chicago O’Hare, Chicago Midway, Denver,
Minneapolis, Boston and Atlanta Airports. Contributions are needed because these beautiful
dioramas, banners and mini spectaculars have printing and shipping costs. The printing is
produced nearly at material cost which is contributed by
TKO Visual Communications.
Chicago O’Hare International Airport Video Ran January, 2008:Clear Channel Airports at
Chicago O'Hare contributed video monitor displays for ONF messages. Over 190,000 people
travel through O’Hare daily! Two ONF 10-second clips rotated with repetition every couple
minutes. You can see the O’Hare commercials running in this airport from the
ONF Broadcast Gallery.
ONF Awareness Campaigns Started Running at Mall of America and in Food Stores in 2010:
There are more digital monitors getting
into shopping malls and food stores daily!Thanks
to CBS Outdoor who owns the digital signs
at the famous Mall of America, and Advantage
who has captured the food store markets, ONF has been able to reach PSA
messages beyond highways and city streets.
Des Moines, Iowa Started Running in November, 2007:
Here is an example of billboards
running in Des Moines contributed by Clear Channel Outdoor.
One display alone located on 63
and Grand Avenue was seen by over 16,400 viewers per day.
Columbus, Ohio Posted ONF's First Billboard October, 2007:Clear Channel Outdoor,
Columbus contributed electronic space at nine locations surrounding the city to include major
Interstates 70 and 270. This location has contributed extended periods of time with their new
larger formats. These Columbus campaigns were seen by over 884,000 viewers per day.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was Another Early ONF Contributor in 2007:Clear Channel Outdoor,
Philadelphia contributed electronic space on five I-95 locations southwest, central and
northeast, I-76 at the Walt Whitman Bridge, at Admiral Wilson and Ben Franklin, and on Route 1
at the northeast end of town. These Philadelphia campaigns reached over 567,000 viewers per
day.
All ONF billboard designs for our Troops, Wounded and Fallen
can be seen at the Billboard Gallery.
PUBLISHED ARTICLES:
Washtenaw Voice, Wounded Warrior John Lockwood by Bob Conradi, Monday, 7 November 2011: In November 2006, just five years ago, John Lockwood arrived in a medically induced coma at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., while his worried family, who had rushed to be at his side, bought their Thanksgiving dinner from a vending machine.Read more...
Washtenaw Voice, ONF by Bob Conradi, Monday, 7 November 2011: Linda Kelly was the wife of a career Navy man and mother of a Marine. As she was mourning the loss of Shane O’Donnell, a fallen member of her son’s company in Iraq, she was inspired to use her graphic arts skills to help heighten awareness of America’s military heroes.Read more...
Atlanta Intown, Thursday, 1 December 2011: ...the image of a soldier hugging a young girl, assumed to be his daughter, and the bold title Operation Never Forgotten caught my attention.Read more...
Outdoor Advertising Magazine / Published September-October, 2008 and 2009: Stories ran
a year apart about ONF's efforts in a glossy printed outdoor advertising trade magazine seen at
OAM.net.
Ann Arbor, Michigan Newspaper / Memorial Day, 2009: The national attention for Operation
Never Forgotten is increasing with every patriotic billboard and television public-service
message that it places around the country.
Read more...
Pocono Record / Published August 12, 2008: Billboards line our highways and are a great
way to get the word out to millions of people daily. Whether selling a product or bringing
awareness to passersby, the messages catch people's attention. With that in mind, Linda Kelly
started to utilize digital billboards for her idea, "Operation Never Forgotten." These special
billboards are not trying to sell anything, but instead are there to honor deployed troops,
veterans and military families.
Read more...
Washington, Department of Defense News / February 26, 2008: “Operation Never Forgotten
separates the war from the warrior,” Kelly said, adding that the group’s campaigns stimulate
volunteerism for all military support organizations helping deployed troops and wounded
warriors, as well as those honoring our fallen heroes.
Rolling Thunder Magazine / Published May 1, 2005: Kelly first presented the need for
supporting the troops through creative commercial outlets with the Rolling Thunder, a
publication and motorcycle rally group in Washington, DC. They provide benefits for wounded
warriors and information on POW/MIA, active duty military and veteran support issues. Kelly
introduced her initial ONF concept to several congressional staff members in Washington as
she continued to work closely with blue-star parents, gold-star families and other organizations
supporting our Armed Forces and veterans. Kelly’s personal involvement with her Marine son
and Navy husband, each having served in Iraq and other countries, has fueled her motivation to
these heartfelt and attention grabbing campaigns.
Daktronics -- Producers of Scoreboards, Displays, Video and Sound: With a story behind
every picture from Times Square to Los Angeles, it makes it hard to miss the messages
presented on each board thanks to Operation Never Forgotten and several national billboard
companies.
Read more...
Other Newspapers and Magazines have put the word out about ONF's efforts to help raise
better awareness and appreciation for our troops, wounded, fallen and military families. Watch
for more ONF in the news and more ONF campaigns!
OTHER PUBLICITY:
Aerial Banner Over Football Stadium / Flew September 22, 2007:ONF flew a message via
aerial banner over the University of Michigan “Big House” Stadium just before the Michigan-
Penn State football game. The banner was contributed by AirAmerica Aerial Ads of Ann Arbor,
Michigan. ONF contributed to the airplane fuel.
Images and Audiovisuals are created by and for ONF
only and are neither for sale nor allowed to be copied
without following ONF terms and agreement.
