U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough recently honored the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) non-profit organization for its work to provide care and resources to loved ones mourning the deaths of military or veteran servicemembers.
McDonough thanked Bonnie Carroll, TAPS president and founder, and the organization for organizing the National Seminar for the past 29 years and for its support and contributions for fallen servicemembers and their survivors during his Memorial Day speech in Arlington, according to a May 26 news release.
"On this Memorial Day weekend, our nation will pause and remember that freedom is not free, that it was bought with the price of lives lost and sacrifices made by generations of brave men and women to preserve our freedom — yours and mine," McDonough said in the release. "For 29 years, TAPS has not only paid tribute to the memories of the fallen, but it has also honored the service and sacrifices of their survivors."
In his speech, Denis recounted the story of David and Kelly Griffith, the siblings of Major Samuel M. Griffith, a Marine and F-18 fighter pilot who was killed while conducting combat operations in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan, the release reported.
"To David, his sister Kelly, his wife, dad, mom and just about everybody who knew him, Sam was the kindest, most compassionate guy you’d ever meet," McDonough said in the release. "Sam was a man of faith, a devoted husband, an Eagle Scout, a Penn State grad and a loving father of two young sons — Chad who was seven at the time, and Noah, who turned six the day after he lost his father."
David and Kelly Griffith attended the TAPS Good Grief Camp program and connected with other children that were survivors of fallen servicemembers. David Griffith would go on to become a first lieutenant in the Army, serving in the Chaplain Corps. Kelly Griffiths would go on to volunteer for TAPS, starting out as an editor for the organization's magazine and now works to raise awareness for the needs of Gold Star families.
McDonough said the VA has updated its mission statement to recognize the service and sacrifice of the families of grieve the loss of a servicemember or veteran. The VA has also teamed up with the Office of Army Cemeteries to add more than 300,000 stories from veterans and service members to the Veterans Legacy Memorial page. Their stories join more than 4.5 million stories already memorialized on the VLM site.
"And to the survivors: It is an honor for me to join you here today. You are here because you loved someone who served this country — someone who gave everything for this country — and they are forever held close in our hearts," McDonough said in the release. "Through your presence, you honor their memory and their service. You are their living legacy, an inspiration to us all."
McDonough also announced the launch of the Postvention Toolkit for Survivors to provide suicide prevention support, according to the release. The toolkit will draw on expertise and experiences of TAPS members.
"Because grief can be quite intense for survivors after the loss of a loved to suicide, this toolkit encourages survivors to seek help through a comprehensive approach that promotes healing through education and resilience training," McDonough said. in the release.
McDonough also announced the VA is creating a Decedent Affairs Program to improve end of life experiences for veterans and survivors, the release reported.
According to the release, the VA will "provide provide essential services during the grief process, to include help with making funeral home decisions; train VA staff on their responsibilities for assisting survivors; improve processes for locating and engaging next of kin; develop outreach materials on available benefits; and provide dignified burials for Veterans without any survivors to claim their remains. When there is no family available, our VA family steps in to honor them."
