Honoring The Fallen On Memorial Day

Today we celebrate Memorial Day. A day of reflection and gratitude for those heroes who gave their lives for our freedom. We dedicate this episode to those Americans who never made it home–as well as those who did make it home but are no longer with us.

This is a very special episode for both of us and we thank you for listening.

Emails us at milspousehouse@vaclaimsinsider.com or go to our website to fill out our contact form! We look forward to hearing from you!

To read more about memorial day and how you can best celebrate today, visit the VACI blog!
Memorial Day 2022: Honoring the Fallen

In this episode, we talk about the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. We encourage you to visit their website and learn more about those dedicating their lives to bringing our fallen heroes home and how you can help.

Do you know a veteran who is struggling to win their VA disability claim? Help your service member and check out VA Claims Insider! Schedule your FREE 30-minute, no-obligation Discovery Call with a team member! Click here now!!

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Transcript

[00:00:00] Erin: If you are a veteran and have filed a VA disability claim and have been denied, have received a low rating, or you're unsure how to get started, reach out to us! Go to vacifree30.com, linked in our show notes and take advantage of a free VA claim discovery. Call learn what you've been missing so you can finally get the disability rating and compensation you deserve. 

[00:00:27] Welcome back milspouses to another episode of MilSpouse House. I just want to say thank you so much for everyone listening. Our last episode got so much engagement. We got so many emails and I've been going through responding to them and sending some to Molly to reach out to who needs some help. And it's just awesome. 

[00:00:53] We answer every single email, so keep responding is all I can say. 

[00:00:58] And if you've got a story and you want to share , [00:01:00] yes! Send it in and we'll see what we can do.  

[00:01:02] Molly: Yeah. And we had no idea that that topic was going to be such a hot topic either. So if there are any other topics you guys want us to talk about, or if you want us to do another episode you know, about that topic or about another topic you want us to go more in depth, please reach out. It's the only way that we're going to be able to make that happen, is if you reach out. 

[00:01:23] Erin: Yeah, our community is growing here at MilSpouse House and we do this for you all, so we'd love to cater it to you. So, like Molly said, email us, send in your topic requests or send us a story or a little shout out and we'll answer your questions. You can email us at milspousehouse@ VA claims insider.com. 

[00:01:46] The link will be in our show notes. 

[00:01:48] So with today, as this airs is Memorial day. So we thought we would do a Memorial day episode. And I was thinking about this, I [00:02:00] know your husband's a veteran, but do you have other ties to the military in your family?  

[00:02:06] Molly: Yes. So my grandpa was actually in the military, in the Navy. 

[00:02:12] And it was, it was really cool because the first time, or when I told my grandpa that my husband was going into, you know, the Navy he amid immediately lit up. And at that point he was really struggling health wise. He was you know, Almost almost all blind, completely blind really hard of hearing. 

[00:02:34] But he was all there like this man he has since passed, but this man was never not mentally there. He was always sharp as a attack. But so even though physically, he was declining. He could remember so much and he remembered his entire service. And so he loved to talk to Troy about or my husband about. 

[00:02:58] You know what he was going [00:03:00] into, what he was doing, what type of ships were in dock. And Troy would try and describe everything in as much detail as possible to him. And it was just a really cool relationship for them both to have, and, and yeah he has since passed, but yet, so my grandpa was in on my Does it paternal side? 

[00:03:18] So my dad's my dad's dad. That was, that was my grandpa in the Navy. And then also my my mom's dad as well was in the military. I'm blanking on what branch of service he was actually in. But he has since passed as well. And then I have a cousin that was in the air force. I have a lot of my husband's friends probably three to four of them are still in. 

[00:03:45] And of course, you know, everyone that he met kind of became family as well. Am I missing anybody? Oh so my, I call him my extra grandpa. But my mom's best friend's dad. We do a trip to this place called Gladwin in Michigan, [00:04:00] and we have been doing it for years. I think we're on the fourth. 

[00:04:05] My kids are the fourth generation to go to Gladwin. And so one week every summer as many people come as possible. It's my mom's best friends and their families. And now the kids are starting to have kids. So that's the fourth generation. And grandpa, grandpa Jack, which is my bonus grandpa. 

[00:04:23] He was also in the military. So pretty much three of my grandpas who were in the military as well as well. Technically it's not my cousin, but it's a bonus cousin again, because it's my mom's best friend's daughter. So again, in the Gladwin, in the crew, as we call them she was in the air force and space force actually. 

[00:04:45] And then a lot of my husband's best friends that are now more like, you know, they're like family yeah. But yeah. So lots of ties to military. What about you?  

[00:04:57] Erin: Yeah, I'm, I'm the exact same way. I think like [00:05:00] 95% of the men in my family have served. I was just looking at pictures of my dad's dad, my grandfather who passed away, I think when I was like about seven. 

[00:05:09] But he served in world war two and I was just looking at photos of him and I thought, how fun would it be if we put some of those old photos on our Instagram? So. We're putting those up today. So definitely check out our Instagram and my papaw on my mom's side, who I knew the longest, who passed away just a few years ago was a Marine and I think about him so much these days as he passed away before he got a chance to meet my husband. So even though my husband has been in my life for a very, very long time, he wasn't like around my papaw at all. And so when we got married, I, I just thought about how proud he would have been for my husband to have turned out, to be a service member. 

[00:05:54] But also I think about him so much because I wished that I had worked at VA claims [00:06:00] insider when he was alive, because he's of that generation that had PTSD and didn't do anything about it and didn't want any help. And it, if I had known what I know now about VA disability, then I would have been able to have been a much bigger influence on getting him the help and compensation that he needed. Especially now because my mamaw no longer has her partner and some of those survivor benefits would have been really helpful for her. But in knowing his conditions, I, he would have been very highly rated, like if not a hundred percent, like I just. It was just a little bit too late, you know, and all he got. 

[00:06:46] Yeah. All he got was free hearing aids and my mamaw and I talk about it all the time. Just how much I wish I knew what I knew now. But all we can do is [00:07:00] honor those before us that have passed on that we didn't get to help. That's why we help people now. And like, we're so passionate about helping veterans get the compensation they deserve because you know, it may have been too late for those that we loved and care about, but it's not too late for those who are still here and who deserve it. 

[00:07:21] So I just like, think about it a lot, especially with Memorial day coming up. Yeah,  

[00:07:26] Molly: absolutely. And I actually have , directly to my left, I have like a cork board and I made very early on in my VA claims insider career. I made a always remember your why. And so I put up pictures of all of the service members that hold a place in my heart. 

[00:07:44] Both past and present. And you know, those are my veterans in my heart and those are my veterans. And even though I serve a lot of veterans on the daily, those are my veterans. Those are my why. Even though I wasn't able to, you know, yes, absolutely. My grandpa, especially my grandpa on my dad's [00:08:00] side you know, like I said, his, his eyesight as well, completely went. 

[00:08:05] And so I know that he probably would have been able to get some disability. But I know that also, he, was very stubborn. And so I don't know if I would've been able to even convince him or educate him. He would probably would've listened to me, but then he would've been like, nah, I'm okay, Molly. 

[00:08:21] But, yeah, so I always have to remember my why and I keep them very close to my heart and I always keep, you know, their pictures right next to me as well. So on those hard days that, you have a veteran that comes back with a denial that you, you worked really closely with and they are down and you're down. 

[00:08:39] I can just look over and just say, okay, this is not over yet. I have to remember my why.  

[00:08:47] Erin: I love that. That's awesome. You talk about your grandpa's hearing. My, my mamaw always says that my papaw's hearing was bad because they didn't have earplugs. They use cigarette butts. [00:09:00] So yeah, I just, that made me think of that, but I love that. 

[00:09:04] I love remembering your why. So most of our company is made up of veterans, but those of us who aren't veterans were either spouses or children of, or like some people have kids in the military who are currently serving and we have a big day with Memorial day, just remembering why we do this. 

[00:09:27] Why it's important. We have veterans day that we also take time to reflect, but Memorial day it means something different. My my papaw I was telling you that again was a Marine and he served with a man named spider. I don't know if that's his real name or that's just his nick name, but his name is spider but he passed away in a car accident some years ago. 

[00:09:51] And my papaw every Memorial day would lay flowers at his grave. Well, when my papaw died, And, you [00:10:00] know, we're standing at the visitation in the line, you know, where you hug everyone that walks by, like, even if you know them or you don't and they give their condolences. Spider's daughter was there and I had never met her before and she just embraced my mamaw, my mom, myself, my sisters, and told us just how much they loved my papaw. How every time a Memorial day, when they went to his grave, he already had flowers there. And just how much it meant to her and her family, that my grandfather still remembered him in that way and honored him every year. And it's those small things that just means so much, it becomes part of a person's legacy  

[00:10:52] and to meet her at such a sad time. And in a sad moment in my life meeting her was a [00:11:00] blessing and made me smile on, on a day that was really hard. And I just, I love that story. I I'll always remember it. 

[00:11:10] Molly: Yeah. And, and I, and I, I do want to bring this up, cause I know this is controversial, but I don't want to make anyone feel bad, but I do feel like Memorial day, especially where I grew up, like in Michigan, it was a lake holiday. Everyone would barbecue have parties. 

[00:11:27] You know, and I feel like the meaning of Memorial day would sometimes get lost. Yeah, and it was a time to party. It was a day off of work. And a lot of people would definitely show their you know, their patriotism. Like they would, they would have like flags and everything, but, you know, I always kind of felt weird about like, you know, celebrating or enjoying the day when it really should be remembering those that have passed that have served. 

[00:11:51] Erin: It's kind of become like a 4th of July, almost like a second 4th of July. I completely understand what you're saying. And maybe this [00:12:00] is the time to start bringing back that reflection and that, that moment of remembrance and silence. And even if it's just for a moment thinking about all the lives that have been 

[00:12:18] given up for our freedom and living in another country while South Korea is awesome. We have different freedoms than they have here. And it has given me more of an appreciation for the country that I call home.  

[00:12:36] And I'm just so much more grateful for our military for helping keep it that way. And every country goes through hard times and disagreements and, and all sorts of things. But I just living in another country for so long, I have a new found appreciation and even going to, so here we have the Korean war [00:13:00] Memorial museum and what an honor, to be able to go to that in person. There was just so much more to it than I had ever learned about in school or the history books or anything. Like there's so many things that I didn't know about and thinking about, you know, how can we remember our fallen service members?  

[00:13:26] I found this website. I'd like, of course it exists. I don't know why I'd never thought about it before, but it's the defense pow prisoner war and Mia missing in action accounting agency and their motto is fulfilling our nation's promise. 

[00:13:48] And what they do is they identify unknown remains of service members or they go out and seek missing service members who have been [00:14:00] fallen due to their time and service. And I'm just reading through these stories of people who've been found after like 80 years. Of being missing and brought home and brought home with honor and brought home in the way that they deserve, not just missing or stranded. 

[00:14:24] And I'm looking at these numbers. So currently there are more than 81,600 Americans missing. From world war II, the Korean war, the Vietnam war, the cold war, the Gulf war, and other conflicts, 75% of those losses are located in the Indo-Pacific. And over 41,000 of the missing are presumed lost at sea either due to ship losses or [00:15:00] aircraft crashes. And I just think about that number 81,600 Americans missing today. Their families have been in the dark about what happened to them some of them for decades. 

[00:15:21] Molly: I can't even imagine.  

[00:15:23] Erin: And I was reading this story. So if you go on their website, which I will post in our show notes, this website is awesome. There's places for families to go to. You can like submit if you have any like clues or anything, you know, if you know of a site where, you know, remains are, you can submit them, you can volunteer. They hire people to help them find these are missing military members you can donate, but they posted an article on May 11th, it is called a bulldog returns home. So 21 year old [00:16:00] first Lieutenant Mills was a combat pilot for the 354th fighter squadron also known as the bulldogs and after an encounter of a group of German fighter air-crafts he went missing and they didn't find him until 2021. 

[00:16:26] So 80 years later, They found this missing 21 year old's remains and brought him back to America to bury him at Arlington cemetery. I think that is just amazing. Like finally bringing back this airmen to rest in peace. We just don't think about it that often, unless you're like really a part of the community and it's happened to you and you're missing a loved one. 

[00:16:54] We forget that so many people are out there missing, who have [00:17:00] fought for their country. Gave their life for their country. And then there's remains that people have found who haven't been able to identify who it is yet, but with the progression of technology we're starting to uncover more and more and we're starting to find more and more of these great heroes. 

[00:17:20] And I just thought it was so amazing. I've been on this website all morning and just like reading about. All of the amazing work that they've done. So they have a year end review. So you can look at the past years and all of their successes. 

[00:17:37] And from October 1st, 2020 to September 30th, 2021 height of pandemic, height of pandemic. Over 142 American heroes have been found and identified and brought back home.  

[00:17:59] Molly: That's [00:18:00] amazing. That is really amazing. I know. I'm probably going to go on that website and also be stuck in a loop of reading. 

[00:18:10] And I know, you know, I, and I know that that is the exact reason that the tomb of the unknown soldier exists. So yes, we, we don't want to, you know, let's skip over the fact that yes, they do have the, you know, the military does acknowledge that. That these individuals have not been found. And there is a Memorial for them, but it's just so much different, you know, visiting a Memorial for everyone that has been lost. 

[00:18:38] Versus if you are finally able to go in lay flowers or pay your respects to their grave, you know, it's just  

[00:18:49] different.  

[00:18:51] Erin: We take things like that for granted. You know, we really, really do. Not only do we at times take our freedom for [00:19:00] granted, but we take for granted those little things of, I know where my grandfathers are laid to rest. I can't imagine not knowing that or not have been able to have a service where I knew where they were at and. 

[00:19:20] Yeah, it breaks your heart, but it also inspires you that this amazing group of people are out there dedicating their lives to bringing these fallen heroes home. So to the defense pow Mia accounting agency. Thank you. You really are fulfilling our nation's promise. And I am just so thrilled. 

[00:19:46] I've stumbled upon your website and I can't wait to keep up with it more. And I can't wait to share these articles with other people at work. As we often post stories [00:20:00] of inspiration, especially around holidays. That mean a lot to our company. And so I'm excited to share that with others.  

[00:20:09] Molly: Yeah, absolutely. 

[00:20:10] Let's get the word out about this amazing company doing such great work, you know, behind the scenes almost, you know, like you said, you just don't think about it. When you think about the tomb of the unknown soldier. Yeah. You always wonder, like, what is being done to find these soldiers, you know, and now nowadays there is so much technology. 

[00:20:32] That in DNA testing and all of that, that it's just, everything is advancing. So it doesn't, it doesn't surprise me that there's a company out here doing this. But it's, it's definitely, gosh, it's such, it's so important such  

[00:20:46] Erin: as, and th and there's, so I'm pretty sure it's a government agency. But. 

[00:20:51] I mean, think about, it's not just the people who are physically out there searching. It's the people in the labs. It's the people that. [00:21:00] Even do the office work to keep the organization so people can focus on their job. It's the leaders that may not be in the front lines of finding these people, but they're, they're managing and hiring people qualified to do these things. 

[00:21:17] When we talk about these organizations and we, we talk about even a company like ours, there's so many people behind the scenes that help these organizations do what they do. And that's the same for the military. Every job in the military is so important. So even if you're not serving on the front lines, you're still serving our country. 

[00:21:42] And I'm so grateful for you for dedicating, however long you serve to our nation and doing something so selfless. And even if you join for selfish reasons, whatever those may be, is still a great honor. And [00:22:00] we're very grateful for your service. We mean that from the bottom of our hearts, because we dedicate our life to helping as well. 

[00:22:07] Molly: Yeah.  

[00:22:08] I hear that way too often from service members that they don't believe that they deserve. Compensation for an injury or a condition that they got during service or was made worse by service. They're just like, I didn't deploy, I didn't see combat. And one of them even said, I didn't do anything. 

[00:22:27] And I said, really, let's dive into that a little bit. Why don't we? And so that's a super important part of my job is to kind of bring to light to these soldiers that have kind of been, are these veterans that have kind of been kicked off to the side, they truly don't believe that they deserve compensation. 

[00:22:46] And that just blows my mind, but I'm so thankful that I'm, that I'm able to explain to them why they do deserve it. And it doesn't matter if you deployed, everybody that is in the military or was in the [00:23:00] military, you all joined. 

[00:23:02] You all took the oath. You all served your country. And yeah, if you're not on the front lines, if you're in a desk job, it doesn't matter, you all gave that oath to serve your country.  

[00:23:17] Erin: Yeah. It's all part of a moving machine that without, without one part or one role, it couldn't operate the way that it operates. 

[00:23:27] Molly:  
 

[00:23:27] Everyone should be celebrated today, especially for what they, for what they gave up for what they put on the line to serve our country and to  

[00:23:37] Erin: protect our freedom.  

[00:23:38] And most of us have those family members who are no longer with us, whether they passed in service or after their service. 

[00:23:47] And so let's all take the moment today to honor them and Molly, I just have to say that I think our grandfathers are very proud of what we do today and are very proud that [00:24:00] we are continuing to fight for those who are underrated and deserve more. And I am happy with that.  

[00:24:11] Molly: I am too. Yeah. I know for a fact, my grandpa would be very, be proud and I'd be proud to share what I do with him as well. 

[00:24:21] Erin: So, To leave us. I want to,  

[00:24:28] Molly: I have a poem. Oh, goodness gracious. The last time you had a poem, it was about military kids and I was balling. So let me mute myself now.  

[00:24:39] Erin: All right. So actually this poem is, is how I found the DPAA the defense pow Mia accounting agency. I was scrolling through poems but they mentioned it in one of, in one of their comments about these poems. But this poem is called Memorial day hymn for fallen soldiers by Michael R. Burch sound, the awesome [00:25:00] cannons. Pin metals to each breast. Attention, honor guard! 

[00:25:05] Give them a heroes rest. Recite their names to the heavens till the stars acknowledge their kin. Then let the land, they defended gathered them in again. 

[00:25:17] Molly: That's beautiful.  

[00:25:19] Erin: Yeah. So mil spouses. We'll leave you with that. Have a wonderful day of reflection. Thank you all for supporting your service member. As they serve our country, keep supporting them the best that you can and from our house to yours, have a great day.  

[00:25:40] Molly: Bye everyone.  

[00:25:41] Erin: Bye. 
 

[00:25:43] Mil spouse house is brought to you by VA claims insider.! Let's face it. The VA claims process is a pain, many veterans struggled for years trying to increase their ratings or even get rated at all. [00:26:00] Most are not getting the compensation they deserve. Here at VA claims insider we've supported more than 15,000 veterans to win their claims and increase their ratings. 

[00:26:10] Now it's your turn! Schedule your free via claim discovery call with one of our team members. By going to vacifree30.com linked, our show notes, and you'll learn what gaps you need to fill to speed up your claim and increase your rating. 

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