Sec. Wilkie's Memorial Day message, free National Park passes for disabled Veterans, Borne the Battle, and other top VA Stories - May 24, 2019

"This Week at VA" is a digital newsletter with top news and stories from across the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. TOP PHOTO: Brooks Sansone, 2, helps his mother, Nikki, place an American flag during the traditional flag-placing at Wood National Cemetery. More than 35,000 flags will fly at each of the Veterans interred at the cemetery in preparation of Memorial Day. (Photo by Benjamin Slane for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs) National Cemetery Administration will host Memorial Day ceremonies at VA national cemeteries across the country with the help of local communities. Each cemetery and community will add their own special touch of patriotism and "thanks" during the events. Click here to find a Memorial Day ceremony near you TOP STORIES A Memorial Day message from VA Secretary Wilkie "As we go about our duties providing America's living Veterans the care, benefits, and services they have earned, let us also remember the men and women who gave their lives for our freedom." WATCH HERE Disabled Veterans eligible for free National Park Service Lifetime Access Pass Good for entry into 400+ National Parks and over 2,000 recreation sites across the country, the Lifetime Access Pass is another way a grateful nation says thank you for the service and sacrifices of Veterans with disabilities. READ MORE Are you a fan of podcasts? Borne the Battle is our weekly #podcast where we interview Veterans and share their stories with you. This week on Borne The Battle we sit down and talk to Army Veteran and president of the Fisher House Foundation, Dave Coker. We talk about new lodging facilities that will help Veterans and their families save up to three million dollars a year in New York, and how the Fisher House Network will soon provide for over 1,000 families at any given time across the country. LISTEN TO THE ENTIRE EPISODE HERE Veterans learn playing the guitar helps them relax and escape depression Guitars for Vets is a non-profit organization that provides ten individual guitar lessons to Veterans struggling with physical injuries or emotional distress. Once lessons have been completed, the Veteran receives a free acoustic guitar. READ MORE   Learn how VA is making health care easier to access Join us for a Facebook LIVE video on May 30, 2019, at 4:30 p.m. EDT to learn about new eligibility and access standards and what you must do before you can access care from a local provider in your community, through VA. Participating is easy: Visit VA's Facebook page a few minutes before 4:30 p.m. EDT. Refresh your page at 4:30 p.m. EDT to watch the live video discussion, it will begin on the hour. Click on the video. Make sure it is unmuted by using the volume controls at the bottom of the video. Type your questions into the comments below the video. Representatives will provide answers and resources. You will need a Facebook account to ask questions. VANTAGE POINT The job of preventing suicides one case at a time 3-D printing technology brings innovation to South Texas VA From D-Day to the Battle of the Bulge, this Red Cross member helped wounded Allied soldiers  National Memorial Day Concert to feature "Vietnam Valor and Brotherhood" a story of the bond between two Veterans Mindfulness, values-based goal setting can improve lives of Veterans with PTSD and alcohol use disorder VA NEWS RELEASES White House VA Hotline surpasses 250,000 calls from Veteran community VA partners with Microsoft to improve how rural Veterans access VA's online services and benefits VA now transplanting kidneys that are positive for hepatitis C  Are you a Veteran in crisis or concerned about one? Connect with the Veterans Crisis Line to reach caring, qualified responders with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Many of them are Veterans themselves.