Honoring Vets

Our Military Kids supports military children (age 3 – 18) by providing grants up to $300 to fund sports, arts, and other enrichment activities when their parents are deployed overseas with the National Guard or Reserve or recovering from severe injuries sustained in a post-9/11 overseas mission. Participation in these activities helps military children cope with stress and build self-confidence during an otherwise difficult time in their lives. 

Bridge My Return helps Veterans find meaningful employment and talk about how Veteran voices are crucial in the workplace.

While our nation takes pause to recognize those who’ve sacrificed their lives in service to their country on this Memorial Day 2021, Operation Gratitude and survivors of these fallen heroes know the weight of that loss is felt 365 days a year.

Memorial Day may come for some once a year, but for Sallie Woodard it is every day since the passing of her son, U.S. Navy Engineman Second Class Sebastian Woodard, on March 4, 2015 (Served from 2006-2015).

Memorial Day is a difficult time for the military caregivers Hidden Heroes supports. 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.

A red poppy from the American Legion Auxiliary reminds Americans to keep alive the memories of those who served, especially on Memorial Day.

The Vietnam War was the nation’s longest and costliest conflict of the Cold War. Over 8.7 million Americans served in the Armed Forces during the Vietnam era from 1964 to 1973 (1). More than 3.4 million deployed to Southeast Asia (1) and approximately 2.7 million of those served in the Republic of Vietnam (2). On this Memorial Day 2021, VA honors their service and recommits itself to supporting all Veterans of the Vietnam era, their families and their caregivers.

21 newly bereaved survivors come to TAPS each day for resources and care. The need is great and growing. In 2020 and thus far in 2021, the families of those service members and Veterans who have died by suicide or illness, as a result of exposures to toxins while serving overseas, represent the largest population of new survivors turning to TAPS for resources and care.  

VA's National Cemetery Administration (NCA) last week announced it would lift all restrictions on gathering sizes at committal and memorial services in VA national cemeteries starting on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.

In a sign of pre-pandemic times, Disabled American Veterans volunteers met May 22 to clean the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The Veterans Legacy Memorial, our nation’s first digital platform dedicated entirely to more than 3.7 million Veterans interred in VA’s national cemeteries, provides a memorial page dedicated to preserving their legacy.

The National Memorial Day Concert May 30 will honor Veterans from different eras. Here’s a preview of some of those stories.