Home Base

A message from our Executive Director: Veterans Day 2025

Dear Home Base Nation,

Last May, I met Sergeant Ezequiel “Zeek” Grimaldo, a proud U.S. Army Veteran and Paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division who served with distinction in Iraq and Afghanistan. Like so many of his brothers and sisters in arms, Zeek faced a battle far greater than any he fought overseas — the battle to come home.

“When we got attacked, it didn’t phase us,” Zeek told me. “We knew how to fight back and win. But when the war ended, the battle within began.” Once calm and confident under fire, he returned home feeling lost and unwanted: “It felt like I was being told I was no longer needed. It was heartbreaking.”

Stories of Hope: Ezequiel Grimaldo
Click this link to watch Zeek’s Story of Hope.

This Veterans Day, we pause to honor the courage and sacrifice of those who have served our Nation. But remembrance alone is not enough. Every day, between 20 to 30 Veterans die by suicide, a heartbreaking reminder that too many still fight their battles in silence. We owe them more than gratitude. We owe them hope, healing and a path forward.

At Home Base, we are answering that call. Over the past decade, we have provided life-saving care to more than 50,000 Veterans, Service Members and their Families from all 50 states and 14 countries — all at no out-of-pocket cost to them. This is made possible by a Grateful Nation of supporters who believe, as we do, that no Veteran should be left behind.

The need has never been greater. Nearly 70% of Veterans do not seek care from the VA, and 65% of those lost to suicide have no connection to its system. These are the men and women who turn to Home Base, and we are determined to be there for every one of them. With your help, we are expanding this mission through our National Center of Excellence in Boston and partner programs in Florida, Texas and Arizona to reach more Warriors where they are, when they need us most.

“There were days I felt like my life wasn’t important,” said Zeek. “But I picked up the phone and called Home Base. I realized I wasn’t alone — that help was there.”

Your generosity makes stories like Zeek’s possible. Every gift directly supports our Intensive Clinical Programs, Family Support, Resiliency Training and Warrior Health and Fitness — helping Veterans and Families heal the invisible wounds of war.

There are many ways that you and your network can support Veterans and their Families this month:

Additionally, Home Base Florida, in partnership with the Wounded Warrior Project, will return to Puerto Rico this month to expand care for Spanish-speaking Veterans and their Families through our Intensive Clinical Programs and Resiliency Training. Meanwhile, Home Base Texas, which launched in July in collaboration with the Menninger Clinic, continues to deliver life-changing care to Warriors and their Families across the Houston area.

Looking ahead, Home Base is expanding its mission to meet the full spectrum of challenges facing today’s Veterans, from toxic exposures to traumatic injuries. Our HealthSpan approach focuses on prevention, recovery and performance — empowering Veterans to strengthen both body and mind so they can live healthier, more purposeful lives.

Please consider making a tax-deductible gift of $100 or more by December 31, to become a Home Base Life Saver and receive a limited-edition pin as a token of our gratitude.

Zeek summed it up best:

“My healing process started at Home Base. I left knowing I had a solid foundation — and that my healing was real.”

Together, we can help more heroes find their way home.

With deep gratitude,

Jack Hammond

Retired Brigadier General, U.S. Army | Executive Director, Home Base