Tom Hanks in New 'Welcome Back Veterans' Ad

If you've watched any baseball this holiday weekend, you've likely seen a new public service announcement featuring actor Tom Hanks promoting a group called Welcome Back Veterans.

In the 30-second segment, soldiers recount the welcome they received when they first returned home from either Iraq or Afghanistan.

Hanks finishes the ad stating (video embedded right):

A new generation of veterans is coming home. Make a difference for them at WelcomeBackVeterans.org.

The PSA is a collaboration between Major League Baseball Charities and the Ad Council as reported by PRNewswire on June 24:

The program is designed to raise awareness and encourage all Americans to provide support for veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. [...]

"Major League Baseball considers it both an obligation and a privilege to assist our troops in any way we can," said Bob DuPuy, MLB President and Chief Operating Officer, and a veteran who served a year in Vietnam and received the Army Commendation Medal for his service. "Welcome Back Veterans was created to help our brave men and women make a successful transition to civilian life when their service to their country has ended. We ask that all Major League Baseball fans join us on July 4th weekend and on September 11th in this grand-scale effort to raise funds and bring awareness to this vital cause."

Hear, hear!

*****Update: NBer R D Helm made a point in the comments section that deserves attention --

Nice to see that an effort is being made to try and prevent a repeat of the sorry treatment our returning soldiers (heroes all) from Vietnam faced from so many misguided Americans. It wasn't exactly this nation's finest hour.

I applaud Mr. Hanks for lending his name to this laudable effort, as so many celebs have chosen (most indirectly but some directly) to support the wrong side in this war.

Exactly. Look, I know who this guy is supporting for president. However, regardless of political differences, isn't it fabulous to see a left-leaning Hollywoodan take a pro-veterans position like this, especially given how our troops were treated when they returned from Vietnam in the '70s? Wouldn't it be spectacular if more of his ilk reciprocated in kind?