Remember the families of our fallen military

Today, on Veteran’s Day, America honors those who have put their lives on the line in service to this great nation through its Armed Forces.The cost of freedom is the sacrifice made by those few who pay the ultimate price, whether they died in military training accidents preparing for deployment, in combat in Afghanistan or Iraq, or from a sudden illness or by suicide.

The families they leave behind grieve mightily for their loved ones, those who never get to march proudly down Main Street in a Veteran’s Day parade or join the American Legion Post. Widows and children often move to new communities or return to “hometowns” they haven’t lived in for years. Survivors may struggle with anxiety, depression, insomnia, memory loss and a host of issues that take months or years to resolve. They must somehow find their strength anew and rebuild new futures. It takes 5-7 years for those grieving a traumatic loss to reach a “new normal.” 

Thankfully, they don’t have to grieve alone. We honor those who never made it home to become veterans, by caring for those they loved and left behind. The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) is here to offer comfort and care for all who are grieving the death of someone who died while serving in the Armed Forces.

Find information and get involved at www.taps.org.

Carroll is the founder of Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)
 and the surviving spouse of U.S. Army Brigadier General Tom Carroll, who died in 1992 in a military aviation accident.