Without financial assistance, VSO Honor Guards performing military honors to those veterans who served their country honorably will cease to exist, primarily because age and attrition. My team provided military honors, both at the veteran’s cemetery and private cemeteries throughout the New River Valley, for 167 families in 2025. We anticipate that number will exceed 200 funerals this year. It is costly to provide uniforms in a United States Military image as well as travel, food expenses and other unexpected ancillary costs we frequently experience. This Grant fund will go a long way to help VSO’s continue this very important tradition as outlined in U.S.10 code, subsection 1491

VSO Honor Guards need financial assistance in order to maintain staffing and recruit new members to assist veterans families during their loved ones final military salute. Without this assistance the VSO Honor Guards will parish due to attrition and veterans will no longer enjoy full military honors every veteran that honorably served their country deserves.