Veterans Day 2025: No Veteran Should Be Without a Home. We Can Help.
It has been a busy and productive year for KMHS. Our activities have ranged from our ongoing efforts to recover and bring home our four remaining MIAs, to the KMHS Board’s adoption of a new five-year organizational plan. We are also making progress on the KMHS Archiving Project led by Linda Dewey and Trent Heidtke, and we recently participated in the 8th AF Historical Society Reunion.
In addition, we have posted two new podcast episodes this month (thank you, Linda Dewey and Aaron Elson!), and we are in the process of building an exciting new partnership with the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum. All of this activity reflects KMHS’s continued commitment as an active veterans’ organization, working year-round to honor and support our veterans.
With this in mind, on Veterans Day 2025, there is one area where we can all make a meaningful difference. KMHS exists to remember and honor the service and sacrifice of a small but vital group of veterans, those who served in the 445th and/or took part in the Kassel Mission on September 27, 1944. However, while we do so much to honor veterans, it remains a continuing tragedy that tens of thousands of veterans in our country are still experiencing homelessness.
Though the number of homeless veterans has dropped significantly, nearly 50% in the past 15 years, there are still more than 32,000 homeless veterans in the United States. Sources indicate that between 12–15% of them served in the U.S. Army Air Forces or U.S. Air Force. It is heartbreaking to consider. How unacceptable would it be to any of us if we knew that one of our KM participants had faced such circumstances?
So this Veterans Day, I challenge each of us to go beyond a simple toast or expression of gratitude. Take 15 minutes to learn about the resources available that are working to end veterans’ homelessness and, if you feel moved to do so, please consider making a donation. Even a small contribution can help mend this ongoing injustice.
Below are several organizations that have been vetted as highly effective in combating veterans’ homelessness, as well as an interactive directory where you can enter your ZIP code or state to find local organizations that may need your support.
With gratitude and respect to all of our KMHS families, and to all veterans past and present. A special thank you to our single remaining KMHS veteran, Jim Baynham -- thank you for your service.