A Memorial Day Message from Hidden Heroes and the Elizabeth Dole Foundation

This Memorial Day, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation and their Hidden Heroes campaign would like to take a moment to reflect on the memories of those loved ones lost in the line of duty. Our staff has not been untouched by war, and we are grateful every day for the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedom and security.

Military Caregivers, America’s Hidden Heroes

Memorial Day is a difficult time for the military caregivers we support. Many will spend this weekend honoring and remembering those who were lost, while also doing their best to support their Veteran, who may be struggling to process their grief on this day.

Survivor’s guilt may plague many Veterans, whether they served in Vietnam or Iraq, as they reflect on the loss of their brothers and sisters in arms. Compounding the difficulty of this day are the well-meaning but misguided attempts to ‘celebrate’ this day – television ads spotlighting the latest Memorial Day Sale, or well-wishers congratulating and thanking Veterans for their service. Such reminders can be triggering for those Veterans who are already struggling to keep the focus on the fallen. And through it all, the caregivers are there.

Over Memorial Day Weekend, military caregivers worked to soothe these effects of war and ensure that the grief and loss felt by their Veterans is addressed in a healthy way.

Caregiver Resources

If you are a caregiver in need of support, we encourage you to visit the Hidden Heroes vetted resource directory, to find support for both yourself and your Veteran.

We also recommend that you sign up for Respite Relief, a free program providing caregivers of active-duty service members and Veterans with 24-total hours of respite care.

Through Hidden Heroes, we hope to honor and support the military community this weekend and throughout the year.

The sharing of any non-VA information does not constitute an endorsement of products and services on the part of VA.