The Last Three Vietnam Veterans in Congress Return to the Wall Together Ahead of Memorial Day

Posted on by Abigail Trotter

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Last Three Vietnam Veterans in Congress Return to the Wall Together Ahead of Memorial Day

Nearly 30 bipartisan veteran lawmakers gathered for annual act of remembrance

WASHINGTON, D.C. —May 21, 2026— On the morning of Thursday, May 21, nearly 30 bipartisan veteran Members of Congress gathered at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial—not for a press conference, but for a quiet act of remembrance.

Together, they cleaned the wall.

Leading the gathering were the only three Vietnam veterans still serving in Congress. Rep. Jim Baird (R-IN), who lost his left arm in a 1971 convoy ambush, will return to the memorial alongside Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), who was wounded in combat with the Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade, and Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI), a retired Marine Corps lieutenant general who flew CH-46 helicopters in Vietnam. He has spent decades returning to the wall to honor those who did not come home.

For Baird, the wall reflects the war he survived. It includes the names of soldiers who fought in the same deadly convoy operations along QL19—including Specialist Four Larry Dahl, a Medal of Honor recipient killed in a 1971 ambush on that same road.

More than fifty years after their service, the three stood together again at the wall—not as young soldiers, but as some of the last living links between that war and the nation that sent them.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial—the most-visited site on the National Mall—bears the names of more than 58,000 Americans who were killed or remain missing in action.
For many of the Members participating, the names etched into the black granite are not abstract. They are friends. Brothers and sisters in arms. For the eighth consecutive year, the bipartisan For Country Caucus, alongside With Honor, has brought these veterans in Congress together to honor the more than 58,000 Americans who gave their lives in Vietnam—ensuring their memory is carried forward not only in stone, but in continued service to the nation.

“More than fifty years after Vietnam, the courage it took to serve, and the bonds it forged, still transcend today’s political divisions,” said Rye Barcott, Marine Corps veteran and Co-Founder and CEO of With Honor. “Courage is a decision to advance the common good despite personal risk. The veterans on this wall made that decision. In a divided time, this simple act of cleaning the wall is a reminder that America is still capable of making that decision too.”

“This wall is sacred ground,” said Representatives Jake Ellzey (R-TX) and Don Davis (D-NC), Co-Chairs of the For Country Caucus. “The names on it belong to Americans who answered the call without asking who stood with them politically. Coming together as veterans to honor them is how we keep faith with that same standard.”

Now an established tradition, the annual cleaning of the wall has become a quiet tradition for the For Country Caucus—one that reflects its core commitment: to put service and country above party.

In honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary, Jen Condon, Executive Vice President of America250, the official nonprofit partner of the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, joined this year’s event.

With Honor Action to Participate in Two Sessions at the 2026 AI+ Expo for National Competitiveness

Posted on by Abigail Trotter

For Immediate Release

Contact: Susan Forbes, forbes@withhonor.org

With Honor Action to Participate in Two Sessions at the 2026 AI+ Expo for National Competitiveness

Veteran Leaders to Spotlight Defense Industrial Base Reform, Veteran Leadership, and Tech Policy

Washington, D.C. – May 4, 2026 – With Honor Action will participate in two featured sessions, along with a fireside chat, at the AI+ Expo for National Competitiveness, organized by the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), in Washington, D.C. The Expo convenes top leaders from government, industry, and academia to address how the United States can ensure that emerging technologies serve as engines of economic growth, global leadership, and national security.

Thursday, May 7 | 11:30 AM | South Stage
Fireside: Rebuilding the Arsenal of Freedom

A conversation on restoring America’s defense industrial base to meet the demands of sustained great power competition. This session will examine how Congress is approaching procurement reform, production scaling, and supply chain resilience to ensure readiness at speed. It will also explore the role of public-private partnerships in rebuilding capacity across critical sectors.

Speakers:

  • Scott Cooper, SVP for Government Affairs, With Honor Action
  • Representative Don Bacon (R-NE), Founding Co-Chair, For Country Caucus
  • Moderator: Aaron Mehta, Editor-in-Chief, Breaking Defense

Key Themes:

  • The Proposed $1.5 Trillion Defense Budget
  • Defense Industrial Base Restoration
  • Procurement Reform and Production Scaling

Friday, May 8 | 9:30 AM | South Stage
Panel: How Technology is Unleashing Veteran Leadership Across America

A discussion on how technology is expanding the reach and impact of veteran leadership in communities, the workforce, and public service. This session will also examine how mission-driven networks are connecting veterans to opportunities in business, policy, and community leadership, with a focus on unlocking the full potential of veteran talent as a force multiplier for American renewal.

Speakers:

  • Rye Barcott, Co-Founder & CEO, With Honor
  • Mike Hutchings, CEO, Combined Arms
  • Moderator: LtGen Michael Groen (Ret.), Former Director, Joint Artificial Intelligence Center

Key Themes:

  • Technology as a Force Multiplier for Veteran Leadership
  • Mission-Driven Networks and Veteran Opportunity
  • Veteran Talent and American Renewal

Friday, May 8 | 11:00 AM | President’s Tech Brief | PTB Stage
With Honor Co-Founder & CEO Rye Barcott will join SCSP’s Ylli Bajraktari and Martijn Rasser for a live discussion on principled veteran leadership and how veteran leaders in Congress are driving tech policy.

Speakers:

  • Rye Barcott, Co-Founder & CEO, With Honor
  • Ylli Bajraktari, President & CEO, SCSP
  • Martijn Rasser, Vice President & Technology Leadership Directorate, SCSP

Key Themes:

  • Principled Veteran Leadership
  • Veteran-Led Tech Policy in Congress
  • Civic Trust and Democratic Accountability

More info and registration: https://expo.scsp.ai/

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About With Honor
With Honor Action fights polarization in Congress by supporting principled veterans across party lines who pledge to serve with integrity, civility, and courage. With Honor Action works alongside the bipartisan For Country Caucus in Congress to pass critical legislation for our nation. With Honor Action is a 501(c)(4), which serves as the organization’s policy and social-welfare arm. With Honor has an affiliated federally registered “super PAC” called With Honor Fund III. Learn more about our work at WithHonor.org.

With Honor Action Joins 34 Veterans Organizations and Bipartisan Members of Congress in Push to Pass Written Informed Consent Act

Posted on by Abigail Trotter

For Immediate Release

Contact: Brian Le, le@withhonor.org

With Honor Action Joins 34 Veterans Organizations and Bipartisan Members of Congress in Push to Pass Written Informed Consent Act

The bipartisan bill would require written consent before the VA prescribes medications carrying FDA suicide-risk warnings.

Washington, D.C. — April 28, 2026 — With Honor Action, alongside For Country Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Don Davis (D-NC), caucus member Rep. Tom Barrett (R-MI), Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), the Grunt Style Foundation, and 33 other veterans organizations today urged Congress to pass the Written Informed Consent Act (H.R. 4837 / S. 3314), bipartisan legislation that would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to obtain written informed consent before prescribing veterans medications that carry FDA warnings related to suicide risk.

Under current VA practice, written informed consent, the process by which patients are formally educated about the risks and benefits of their treatment, applies only to long-term opioid prescriptions. The Written Informed Consent Act would extend that requirement to other high-risk medications, including stimulants, narcotics, and antipsychotics.

“With Honor Action stands behind this bill because informed veterans are better-positioned to manage their own health and advocate for themselves within the VA system,” said Scott Cooper, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for With Honor Action. “Expanding written informed consent to high-risk medications is a commonsense step that protects patients and builds trust between veterans and their providers.”

“It’s at the core of this bill, it’s about something that is simple, but essential. It’s about ensuring veterans and their families are able to make informed decisions about their healthcare,” said Rep. Don Davis, Co-Chair of the For Country Caucus.

“Veterans deserve to be fully informed about the serious risks of the medications they are prescribed,” said Tim Jensen, President of The Grunt Style Foundation. “Written informed consent empowers veterans, improves safety, and strengthens — rather than discourages — access to mental health care. This is a straightforward, bipartisan solution that can help prevent unnecessary tragedies.”

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About With Honor

With Honor Action fights polarization in Congress by supporting principled veterans across party lines who pledge to serve with integrity, civility, and courage. With Honor Action works alongside the bipartisan For Country Caucus in Congress to pass critical legislation for our nation. With Honor Action is a 501(c)(4), which serves as the organization’s policy and social-welfare arm. With Honor has an affiliated federally registered “super PAC” called With Honor Fund III. Learn more about our work at WithHonor.org.

With Honor Action Joins Allied Leaders at the 2026 London Defence Conference

Posted on by Abigail Trotter

With Honor Action joined heads of government, senior military leaders, policymakers, industry executives, and media at the 2026 London Defence Conference (LDC). This annual gathering of allied nations focuses on elevating the importance of defense and security in an increasingly complex global landscape.

Held at the historic Old War Office in Whitehall from April 10-11, LDC convenes allied leadership to confront the defining questions in defense and security. Our participation reflects the strong relationships that With Honor Action has cultivated across government and allied defense communities to advance our shared, bipartisan priorities with the veterans in the For Country Caucus.

This year’s conference centered on a single, urgent theme: warfighting readiness. Senior officials delivered frank assessments, warning that current capabilities may be insufficient for sustained large-scale conflict. They called for accelerated rearmament across the U.K. and NATO, reinforced by major procurement announcements. LDC 2026 marked a clear shift from strategic dialogue to coordinated action, as allied nations respond to a more volatile global environment.

On day two of LDC, With Honor Action sponsored a roundtable with the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB), placing American biotechnology policy at the center of an allied defense forum.

Conducted under the Chatham House Rule, the private session brought together senior representatives from allied governments, industry, and research institutions across three continents. Participants explored the growing role of biotechnology as a cornerstone of national security and economic strength.

This discussion builds on a landmark year for American biotechnology. In December 2025, Congress passed a significant package of biotechnology provisions informed by the NSCEB’s Final Report, including 17 With Honor Action-supported measures to strengthen biotechnology across the defense and intelligence communities. Those provisions addressed national security coordination, defense-focused development and manufacturing, supply chain resilience, and expanded allied collaboration.

The conference concluded with remarks from Al Carns, a Member of Parliament, Minister for the Armed Forces, Royal Marines veteran, and a partner within With Honor Action’s network. On the transatlantic alliance, he was unambiguous: the UK-US relationship “is not measured in commentary. It is measured in what we do and what we have done.”

Last October in Washington, Minister Carns joined us for the With Honor Action’s Strength in Democracy Forum and toasted the transatlantic alliance at our Gala, a relationship that reflects the kind of allied engagement LDC exists to deepen.

With Honor Action remains committed to advancing bipartisan veteran leadership and strengthening the alliances that underpin global security.

With Honor Action and Snake Island Institute Host Congressional Staff Briefing on Capitol Hill

Posted on by Abigail Trotter

With Honor Action and Snake Island Institute (SII) hosted a congressional staff briefing on Capitol Hill, bringing together policy leaders and members of a visiting Ukrainian military and defense innovation delegation to examine lessons from Ukraine’s battlefield-tested approach to modern warfare.

On the battlefields of Ukraine, the future of warfare is being written in real time. Yesterday on Capitol Hill, policymakers got a rare chance to hear about it directly from the people fighting it.

Ukrainian speakers shared what they’ve learned the hard way: how to neutralize mass drone and missile attacks through layered, integrated air defense; how a smaller naval force can outmaneuver a larger one through asymmetric maritime strategy in the Black Sea; and how Ukraine has built one of the world’s fastest-growing defense technology ecosystems, turning battlefield necessity into innovation that the United States’s military could benefit from.

Learn more about Snake Island Institute’s report on Ukraine’s air defense campaign, examining how Ukraine built, adapted, and sustained its air defense system since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, here.

For Country Caucus Marks Seven Years, 200+ Bipartisan Laws Passed to Strengthen National Security, Increase National Service, and Support Veterans and Military Families

Posted on by Abigail Trotter

For Immediate Release

Contact: Susan Forbes, forbes@withhonor.org

For Country Caucus Marks Seven Years, 200+ Bipartisan Laws Passed to Strengthen National Security, Increase National Service, and Support Veterans and Military Families

Bipartisan caucus of military veteran lawmakers celebrates record of results in a polarized Congress

 

Washington, D.C. — March 18, 2026 — The bipartisan For Country Caucus today proudly marks seven years, celebrating a record of more than 200 bipartisan laws passed by its members. These laws have strengthened national security, expanded national service and civic education, supported veterans, and improved the lives of service members and their military families. 

Founded in 2019, the For Country Caucus is a bipartisan group of veteran lawmakers united by their commitment to advancing principled leadership and bipartisan solutions in Congress. Today, the caucus proudly includes nearly 40 Republican and Democratic members who have served in uniform and continue their service through legislative leadership on national security and support for the military community. 

“The For Country Caucus was founded on the idea that those who have served our nation in uniform should work together to serve it in Congress,” said Rep. Jake Ellzey (R-TX) and Rep. Don Davis (D-NC), Co-Chairs of the For Country Caucus. “Seven years later, we are proud of the bipartisan progress our members have made—and committed to continuing that work on behalf of our troops, veterans, and national security.”

Among the Caucus’s and its members’ achievements are:

  • Expansion of national service programs, including Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, AmeriCorps, and the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps
  • Designation of “988” as the nationwide Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and the passage and sustainment of the Brandon Act to improve the ability of active duty military personnel to receive mental health assistance
  • Leadership of the Military Quality of Life Panel, contributing to 14.5% pay raise for junior-enlisted service members to combat military food insecurity
  • Creation of an Afghan War Commission to examine lessons from America’s longest war
  • Passage of more than two dozen recommendations of the National Security Commission on AI and the Cyberspace Solarium Commission
  • Establishment of the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology in 2021and subsequent sections under the National Biotechnology Initiative Act enacted in 2025
  • Support for democratic allies, including the NATO Support Act, Baltic Security Initiative codification, and measures to repurpose Russian assets for Ukraine’s recovery
  • Laws to counter malign CCP influence, including the BIOSECURE Act and TikTok divest-or-ban legislation restructuring U.S. ownership
  • Authorization of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial on the National Mall

“Seven years ago, a group of veteran lawmakers came together with a simple belief: service to country should come before politics,” said Rye Barcott, Co-Founder and CEO of With Honor. “In a time when Americans are seeking courage in their elected officials, these members have shown that the oath they took to serve in uniform is translating into the kind of principled leadership our country needs in Congress.”

Read the 2019 Washington Post op-ed by the caucus’s original leadership, Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), and former Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) here.

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About With Honor

With Honor Action fights polarization in Congress by supporting principled veterans across party lines who pledge to serve with integrity, civility, and courage. With Honor Action works alongside the bipartisan For Country Caucus in Congress to pass critical legislation for our nation. With Honor Action is a 501(c)(4), which serves as the organization’s policy and social-welfare arm. With Honor has an affiliated federally registered “super PAC” called With Honor Fund III. Learn more about our work at WithHonor.org.

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