Updated.

A Medal of Honor nominee and recipients of the Navy Cross, Silver Star, and Bronze Star began a three-week, cross-country bus tour Friday night. They fought in Iraq and will provide first-hand testimony that our troops are winning. The numbers do not lie; the only thing falling faster than American casualty rates in Iraq is the mainstream media’s reporting about it [Hat tip to the Mudville Gazette].

Yes, our troops have paid a price in blood and courage. Since 9/11, on all battlefields, more than 4,000 American soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines have earned and been awarded the top six medals for valor, the Bronze Star with ‘V’ device and higher. Hundreds of thousands have served combat tours, tens of thousands have been awarded lesser medals for bravery or meritorious service, and more than 20,000 have received the Purple Heart. To date, 4,451 American troops and 9 DoD civilians have died during the War on Terror.

On April 8, the Vets for Freedom Tour will will reach Washington, D.C., where they will ask Congress to honor the service and sacrifice of so many by completing the mission, to fight on to victory.

The Vets for Freedom National Heroes Tour launched from San Diego on Friday, from aboard the USS Midway. More than 1,500 attended. Syndicated talk-radio host Hugh Hewitt spoke with several Vets for Freedom and also launch event MC Jon Voight (the later shown below with U.S. Navy vet, ’63 to ’68, Jerry Koch). Here is an excerpt of his interviews of former Army CPT Peter Hegseth and retired Army LTC Steve Russell:

These are a few of the warriors on the bus (click on each image to learn more):

On Saturday in Los Angeles, Peter Hegseth spoke with KTLA TV:

This is where the tour is stopping along the way:

Tuesday, March 18: Tucson, AZ
Wednesday, March 19: San Antonio, TX
Thursday, March 20: Austin, TX
Tuesday, March 25: Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
Wednesday, March 26: Des Moines, IA
Thursday, March 27: Kansas City, KS
Friday, March 28: Columbia/St. Louis, MO
Saturday, March 29: Nashville, TN
Sunday, March 30: Fort Campbell, KY
Sunday, March 30: Evansville, IN
Monday, March 31: Louisville, KY
Thursday, April 3: Columbia, SC
Friday, April 4: Charlotte, NC
Saturday, April 5: Fayetteville, NC
Sunday, April 6: Virginia Beach/Norfolk, VA
Monday, April 7: Richmond, VA
Tuesday, April 8: Washington, DC / Vets on the Hill
Wednesday, April 9, 2008: New York, NY

If you cannot meet the Vets for Freedom National Heroes Tour along the way, you can join them online and support their efforts.

Update, March 20, 2008: Michelle Malkin has video of the kickoff event here.