“Placing flags at Arizona’s National Memorial Cemetery was one of those special instances where we were able to honor the nation’s fallen heroes right before Memorial Day.” – Glenn Gray, TriWest Vice President of Military & Veteran Engagement
Days before Memorial Day, TriWest Healthcare Alliance (TriWest) employees in Phoenix joined the community to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice by placing flags at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona.
“Since our founding in 1996, TriWest is always looking for ways to give back to those who serve and have served in our nation’s military,” said TriWest Vice President of Military & Veteran Engagement Glenn Gray. “Placing flags at Arizona’s National Memorial Cemetery was one of those special instances where we were able to honor the nation’s fallen heroes right before Memorial Day.”
A Reminder of All Who Served
TriWest employees who volunteered shared how they loved seeing all the people who came out in support of those who died while in combat or later in life as a Veteran. Lisa Carlborg, TriWest Facilities & Lease coordinator, volunteered with her mom to place flags. She said, “It was nice to share this experience with my mom and to see so many people come out to make sure each Veteran headstone received a flag.”
She shared how important it must be to the family members and friends to see that their loved one was honored with an American flag for Memorial Day. While she felt honored to recognize those in Arizona who served, she hoped someone showed the same love and respect of her grandfathers who both served and are buried in Iowa.
Lisa said, “Memorial Day is important to not only remember my grandfathers, but all of the brave men and women who fought for our freedoms.”
Paying Tribute to Our Nation’s Heroes
Although he didn’t serve in the military, Brendan Alsup, TriWest Audit & Corporate Compliance vice president, felt honored to place flags and remember the fallen heroes. He said, “Being able to recognize those who served in a special way was very meaningful for both me and my wife who volunteered with me. Seeing all the flags in lines after we were done was very inspirational.”
While volunteering at the event, Brendan was able to pay respects to a TriWest employee who is buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona. He said, “Randy Kossman was my first boss at TriWest. He was a great mentor and truly loved TriWest. It was a special moment to stop and remember him.”
Giving back and paying tribute to those who served is one way we can show our gratitude to our nation’s military and Veteran communities. May we always remember and honor them.