Veterans Gather in DC to celebrate North Carolina's Wounded Heroes Day
Contact The Independence Fund to cover the story and connect with wounded heroes.
WASHINGTON, April 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- National non-profit The Independence Fund is hosting Veterans and families in Washington, DC, in honor of North Carolina's 5th Annual Wounded Heroes Day.
Wounded heroes from across the country will join elected and appointed officials for a ceremony hosted by The Independence Fund. Icons from the military community, including Veteran and best-selling author Nick Palmisciano, Green Beret Tim Kennedy, and Navy SEAL Andy Stumpf, will speak at the ceremony.
The Independence Fund is treating these Veterans, and their families, to several days in the nation's capital where they will have a chance to meet with officials and enjoy local activities.
Since 2021, the State of North Carolina has recognized April 24 as Wounded Heroes Day to honor the state's many wounded heroes. The special day occurs every year in April in recognition of US Army Veteran SGT Michael Verardo, who suffered life-altering combat injuries in an IED explosion while serving in Afghanistan on April 24, 2010.
Like many heroes who dedicate their lives to defending freedom, SGT Verardo made incredible sacrifices and carried the scars of war with him. Since that fateful day, he has undergone 120 surgeries and years of speech, visual, physical, and occupational therapies.
The state of North Carolina passed House Bill 138/Senate Bill 132 with support from The Independence Fund, to acknowledge the servicemembers who return home wounded, and the families who support them endlessly.
Chief Executive Officer of The Independence Fund, Sarah Verardo, has led efforts across the country for nearly a decade to advocate for Veterans, their Caregivers, and their families.
"April 24, 2010, is my husband's Alive Day," says Verardo. "It's a day we recognize every year as they day he survived against all odds. So many Veterans and their families honor days like this, and the country can celebrate with them."
When a Veteran returns home from war, their family absorbs a lot of the responsibility and sacrifice required to help these heroes reintegrate into their community and move forward with the new scars they carry. From physical wounds to mental, no reintegration is easy.
Wounded Heroes Day is dedicated to honoring these unique experiences and struggles wounded Veterans face.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Katie Koenig – Communications Manager for The Independence Fund
tifcommunications@independencefund.org
704-712-5380
ABOUT THE INDEPENDENCE FUND:
Founded in the halls of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, The Independence Fund was born to care for our nation's most catastrophically wounded surviving service members from the Global War on Terror. With an expansion to caring for the warfighter's family and all generations of wounded, ill, and injured heroes. The Independence Fund stands in the gap to help combat Veterans, active military, and wartime Allies with unmet needs. By restoring independence to those who sacrificed their independence so that we can remain a nation of freedom, The Independence Fund deploys tangible programs to restore our Veterans' and families' physical, spiritual, and emotional health. Known for the hallmark all-terrain track wheelchair program, The Independence Fund has provided over 2,600 trackchairs to severely wounded American heroes.
ABOUT SGT MICHAEL VERARDO:
Retired Army SGT. Michael Verardo served as an Infantryman in the 82nd Airborne until his medical retirement in 2013. He deployed with Bravo Company 2/508th Parachute Infantry Regiment to conduct combat operations in August 2009, and the unit suffered a 60% Purple Heart rate. Wounded initially on April 10, 2010, Michael requested to be returned to duty and was wounded on his first foot patrol just two weeks later. This patrol had catastrophic and life-changing consequences. The improvised explosive device immediately blew off Michael's left leg, much of his left arm, left him with burns over 35% of his body, a traumatic brain injury, severe facial damage, damage to his airways, and other polytraumatic conditions that required a field blood transfusion. On April 24, 2019, Mike's ninth alive day, he had his 120th surgery post-Afghanistan. His condition has required years of physical, occupational, speech, and visual therapy. Originally listed as death imminent post-injury, Michael has continued to defy the odds, and has gone on to enjoy adaptive athletics, most notably competitive pistol shooting, and is an active participant in his church and community in North Carolina.
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SOURCE The Independence Fund