No Greater Love is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 humanitarian, non-profit organization founded in 1971 by Carmella Laspada and is dedicated to providing programs such as wreath-layings, remembrance tributes, and memorial dedications, for those who have lost a loved one in the service to the country or by an act of terrorism. To date, NGL has dedicated 11 memorials located in Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...

 and sponsors numerous other programs. The name is derived from the verse John 15:13

John 15

John 15 is the fifteenth chapter in the Gospel of John in the New Testament section of the Christian Bible. It is part of what New Testament scholars have called the 'farewell discourses' of Jesus...

 from the Bible

Bible

The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...

.

Origin

As a White House Special Projects Aide during the Vietnam War, Ms. LaSpada organized a USO tour to Southeast Asia with her friend, the journalist and humorist, Art Buchwald

Art Buchwald

Arthur Buchwald was an American humorist best known for his long-running column in The Washington Post, which in turn was carried as a syndicated column in many other newspapers. His column focused on political satire and commentary...

. Visiting a military hospital, she met a battle-injured medic who had seen 35 men in his unit die before he himself was mortally wounded. The young man asked that she promise to do something so that his comrades and their grieving families would be remembered. She agreed, accepting from him a black scarf - a symbol of his unit - to seal her promise.

Programs

NGL has initiated many programs to encourage remembrance and increase morale of those affected by war:

• Annual National Moment of Remembrance, initiated in 1997. All Americans are asked to pause at 3pm on Memorial Day
  Memorial Day
  Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
  
   to observe a moment of silence to honor those who have died for freedom. The National Moment of Remembrance was formally established by an act of Congress
  United States Congress
  The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
  
   on December 28, 2000 and is now sponsored by the White House Commission on Remembrance.
• First National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans initiated in 1974. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs
  United States Department of Veterans Affairs
  The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
  
   now sponsors this annual program.
• Holiday Remembrance Gifts Send-Off, begun in 1971, an annual tradition of sending holiday gifts to children who have lost a parent to war.
• Annual Tribute to Those Who Died in the Gulf War
  Gulf War
  The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
  
  , begun in 1992 with the cooperation of the people of Kuwait
  Kuwait
  The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
  
  , is the only tribute that brings together annually families whose loved ones died in the Persian Gulf
  Persian Gulf
  The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
  
  .
• Pledge of Peace, created in 1985 and was recognized by the United Nations
  United Nations
  The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
  
   and is recited by children at most NGL events.
• Operation Valentine initiated in 1993 to boost the morale of U.S. troops on peacekeeping missions by having children send homemade valentines to the troops.
• Yellow Ribbon Campaign. When Americans were taken hostage in Iran in 1979, the wearing of a yellow ribbon was a symbol of America's shared concern for those being denied their freedom.
• International Commemoration for all Victims of Terrorism, begun in 1984, the only tribute in the world specifically for victims of terrorism.
• Editor's Choice Awards, started in 1976, was the first organized national recognition of Vietnam War
  Vietnam War
  The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
  
  veterans for their post-war contributions to the nation.