A Letter from Chairwoman Dawn Buckingham, M.D. — Honoring Families of Heroes
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas – Here at the Texas Veterans Land Board (VLB), we constantly strive to not only uplift the service of our Veterans and Military Members, but also recognize the sacrifices of the families of our nation’s heroes. In honor of the bravery and strength of military families, the VLB observes April as the Month of the Military Child and April 5th as Gold Star Spouses Day.Military children face many unique challenges throughout their formative years. Today, there are around 1.88 million military children in the United States, and it is our duty to ensure they receive the support and care they need. Fittingly, the theme of this year’s Month of the Military Child is “Taking Care of Our Military Children.”
From the stress of having a parent or loved one deployed, to the challenges of regularly moving to unfamiliar places, attending different schools, and making new friends, military children sacrifice and serve alongside our nation’s service members. Taking care of our military children requires that we work to ensure they have access to programs and resources to help them face these challenges.
Additionally, the surviving husbands and wives of Military Members who lost their lives in the line of duty, Gold Star Spouses represent the strongest among us. As a military spouse, these men and women served alongside their Military Member through the countless unseen moments of compromise, distress, and deepest love experienced within the tight bonds of military families.
These true patriots face tremendous grief alongside the responsibilities of caring for a heartbroken family when their spouse passes. While their grace and courage in the face of unimaginable loss are truly inspiring, it is important to remember that even the strongest among us needs support in the darkest of times.
Therefore, the VLB is proud to not only offer Veterans and Military Members the best benefits in the country, but also offer their families high quality services and support. Those interested in learning more about the resources available to Veterans, Military Members and their families in Texas can call 1–800–252–8387, email VLBinfo@glo.texas.gov, or visit vlb.texas.gov.
I encourage all Texans to reflect on the service and sacrifices of military families and to learn more about how we can help support them. Families are the glue that binds Texas, and by lifting up our military families, we ensure a better future for this great state.
