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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Veterans Foundation (FVF) will host a press conference on Thursday, April 17, at 10:00 a.m. at the Florida Capitol, 4th Floor House side . Senator Danny Burgess will be joined by officials from the Florida Veterans Foundation and the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs, along with local Veteran service organization leaders, to launch the statewide Veterans Dental Program which will expand access to vital dental care services for eligible Veterans across Florida. Under the program, FVF’s comprehensive network of selected 501c3 nonprofit organizations will deliver no-cost services to qualifying Veterans, including routine exams, cleanings, fillings, and other necessary dental procedures.     WHAT:   Press Conference on Florida Veterans Dental Program  WHO:   Senator Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills              Major General James S. Hartsell (Ret), Executive Director, Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs              Dr. Pia Woodley, United States Navy (Ret), Chair, Florida Veterans Foundation             Dr. Zack Kalarickal, United States Navy Veteran, Stars, Stripes and Smiles             Paul Kimbel, United States Army Veteran, Florida Veterans Foundation Lead Dental Analyst   WHEN: Thursday, April 17, 2025-10:00 a.m.  WHERE:   4th Floor – House Side, Florida Capitol      ABOUT THE FLORIDA VETERANS FOUNDATION The Florida Veterans Foundation is dedicated to providing essential services and support to Veterans throughout Florida. Through programs like the Veterans Dental Program, the FVF aims to improve the quality of life for those who have served our nation. Learn more at www.helpflvets.org .

March 21 - 22, 2025 | Daytona Beach, FL Florida Mission of Mercy (FLA-MOM)  is the state's largest dental clinic that provides dental care to any patient at no cost to them, with the goal of serving the under-served and uninsured in Florida - those who would otherwise go without care.

Presentation by Colonel Ben Findley, USAF-Retired December 14, 2024 Thank you Captain Newman, Buster, and my other Wreaths Across America friends. It is my privilege to be here today for this Wreaths Across America Ceremony and to lay wreaths here to honor our heroes. Thank you both for what you do. It has been 55 years since I volunteered for my 30 years of military service and took the Commissioning Oath: · to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign & domestic, and · to bear true faith & allegiance to the same. This Oath of Allegiance is more than a formality for commissioning or a promotion ceremony, it provides the foundation of our military and our nation as a whole... and our freedom. Those laid at rest here took that Oath and made the ultimate sacrifice to DEFEND OUR COUNTRY against all enemies, as they promised. Sadly, some of my friends and yours in arms took this Oath and sacrificed their lives for our great country and this Oath and our freedoms, like so many here did as well. If I could put today's ceremony in ONLY 3 WORDS, it would be REMEMBER, HONOR, and TEACH. Today, not only here in Pensacola, but all across our United States of America, we show national unity as we Remember the Fallen, Honor those Who Serve, and Teach our children and others The Value of Freedom. This is also the MISSION of Wreaths Across America TO: 1) Remember the FALLEN, 2) Honor those WHO SERVE, and 3) Teach the NEXT GENERATION the value of freedom. Like some of you, I have visited Newark, OH, Galveston, TX, Stillwater, OK, Prescott Valley, AZ, Ft. Pierce, FL, and even here in Pensacola. All of these cities have about 50,000 net civilian population. Can you imagine if each of these cities and their citizens were gone? What a terrible tragedy! Well here are some facts for you. There are well over 50,000 INTERMENTS of heroes on the 95+ ACRES here at Barrancas, including 4 MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS (one each from the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air force), about 700 UNION and CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS, the WIFE OF APACHE CHIEF GERONIMO from 1887, and several casualties from the Second Seminole War of 1835. Plus so many more brave men & women from many wars & conflicts. Here at Barrancas for this NATIONAL Wreaths Across America Day, we join the almost THREE MILLION VOLUNTEERS and SUPPORTERS who will gather today to Remember, Honor & Teach at about 5,000 participating locations, Cemeteries, and Memorials IN ALL 50 STATES, at sea & abroad. This program has been granted permission to place Wreaths at Normandy in France to honor those who died during World War II's D-Day invasion. We place Remembrance Wreaths on the graves of our country's fallen heroes, in memory of those who served and serve in the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines, Reserve components, and servicemen and women whose last known status was as a prisoner of war or missing in action. THANK YOU for attending and participating in this honorable, respectful, and patriotic event. Quoting our 40TH UNITED STATES PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States when men were free.” MOMENT OF SILENCE My fellow Americans, please join me in a MOMENT OF SILENCE to Remember the fallen, the prisoners of war, the missing in action, and to Honor those who have served and are serving our great nation’s armed services. THINK ABOUT THE MESSAGE A WREATH PROVIDES The traditional and simple message for a Wreath, like in a memorial ceremony, is: · May your HEART & SOUL FIND PEACE AND COMFORT, · May you REST IN PEACE & IN OUR LOVING MEMORY, and · GONE FROM OUR SIGHT, BUT NEVER FROM OUR HEARTS. FREEDOMS WE ENJOY COME WITH A PRICE The precious freedoms we enjoy today have not come without a price. FREEDOM IS NOT FREE. Lying here before us and in cemeteries throughout our nation are men and women who GAVE THEIR LIVES SO THAT WE CAN ENJOY OUR LIBERTY, LIVE IN FREEDOM, and WITHOUT FEAR. WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE: Such Simple Words, But so honorable and very meaningful. Many of you here are veterans of wars and conflicts that America has had to fight to protect the innocent and oppressed. America has always been the first nation to stand up for the freedom of people from around the world. Many of you here today have answered that call and served your country well. You have VOLUNTEERED TO REPRESENT ALL OF US and left loved ones for various periods of time for a greater good, our nation and its freedoms. We are here today to say “Thank You” and we are honored to know you. Such simple words, but they carry a grateful message and a deep meaning of honor and respect. When you see or meet a veteran or an active duty member of the armed services, take a moment to say "Thank You." I know myself as a retired military veteran that it means a lot to me. And the simple gesture of wearing an American Flag pin proudly communicates so much to veterans... the respect and honor to those who have served. Our heroes at rest here served under that flag with pride & honor. When I get a thanks, I always respond with "YOU ARE WORTH IT." Remember, that wreaths and flag pins are tangible symbols of gratitude, honor, and respect... and a visible public reminder of freedom and liberty for Americans. They recognize all military lives lost in defense of our national freedoms... and all those who NOW serve our country. They are real Americans with families, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, rather than just statistics. These heroes have and are VOLUNTARILY standing in your shoes to represent you. Let this ceremony remind us of the TRUE COST OF FREEDOM and how FOREVER FRAGILE it is... and inspire us to live in a way that honors the memory of these heroes and MAINTAINS OUR CONSTANT VIGILANCE and COMMITMENT to preserve it. I have been a member of the Sons of the American Revolution for 58 years and at every meeting we say the AMERICAN'S CREED: It is our duty to those heroes and to our country: 1) To Love it 2) To Support our Constitution 3) To Obey its Laws 4) To Respect our Flag, and 5) To Defend it against all Enemies. Let us never allow the memory of their service to fade and our commitment to waiver. To all those who attend today, volunteer their time, efforts and money to Wreaths Across America, its Mission, and all the Veterans' causes to help preserve the freedoms of our nation, WE AND OUR GRATEFUL NATION THANK YOU! AND SALUTE YOU! (Hand Salute rendered.) Dr. Ben Findley, Colonel, USAF- Ret Colonel Ben is a retired Colonel in the U.S. Air Force with 30 years of service, including experience as the Reserve Provost at Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, where he taught at Air War College and other schools there. He is the author of the first Air Force Supervisor's Course at Air University. As a Psychological Operations Staff Officer with HQ, U.S. Special Operations Command, Ben wrote the Department of Defense book "Psychological Operations," used by all military departments. Colonel Ben received a teaching excellence award as a PSYOP instructor at the U.S. Air Force Special Operations School at Hurlburt Field, FL. Ben was selected by Florida's Governor and Cabinet for the Florida Veterans' Hall of Fame in 2023. He was awarded the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Outstanding Counselor award for Academy liaison officers where he served as Deputy Commander for NW FL & AL. He was also awarded the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Tallman Outstanding Leadership/Service Award & the Department of Defense's Legion of Merit medal. He is a Vietnam Era, Persian Gulf War Era, Somalia, Bosnia, and Kosov War Era veteran. Ben helps veterans by serving on the FL Department of Veterans Affairs' Ambassador Council, the Florida Veterans Foundation Board, the FL Veterans' Hall of Fame Society Board as President, the Sons of the American Revolution Pensacola Chapter as President, the Veterans Memorial Park, Pensacola, Board- 2023, and other veterans' organizations. Ben's doctorate degree is in Business and Education. He taught financial and human resources management, serving as Dean of the College of Business and Professor of Management at the University of Sarasota. He retired from Pensacola State College FL where he served as Dean of the School of Business, Human Resources Director, & Director of Legal Affairs & Risk Management.

The Florida Veterans Foundation serves as the statewide lead organization for Florida Veterans and their families by providing direct services and partnering with state and local governments, veteran service organizations, and educational institutions to improve their overall well-being. About Our Foundation Our team at the Florida Veterans Foundation is passionate about serving Florida Veterans and their families. We are committed to the mission, and all funds received are used to support our five initiatives to serve our Veteran community. Read More FVF Introduces Dental Grant Program VIEW PSA I'M A VETERAN If you're a Florida Veteran in need of dental assistance, click here to view our Dental Service Locator and find help near you. Once the 501(c)(3)s are awarded the below link will become active. Please follow us on social media for regular updates. COMING SOON HELP A VETERAN If you are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and want to partner with FVF to help our Florida Veterans, click below to get involved. I WANT TO HELP Please note Veteran Eligibility. Qualifying veterans must meet the following requirements: Must (1) have been issued a DD-214, NGB 22 or Certificate of Discharge, must (2) reside in Florida, must (3) be at a 300% Poverty Level or below as defined by the federal government at the time of their application, and must (4) be less than 100% service-connected disabled. OUR PROJECTS Florida Vete rans' Dental: Misson of Mercy Read More Veteran Emergency Financial Assistance Read More DAV Transportation Vans Read More I'M A VETERAN If you're a Florida Veteran in need of financial assistance, please reach out to your Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs county office CLICK HERE HELP A VETERAN If you want to partner with the FVF to help our Florida Veterans, click below to get involved. CLICK HERE The Gadsden Flag License Plate The Gadsden Flag License Plate is a specialty Florida license plate featuring the iconic “Don’t Tread on Me” design, symbolizing American liberty and patriotism. This plate is available for purchase at your local Florida DMV or tax collector’s office. Proceeds directly supports the Florida Veterans Foundation, helping fund critical programs and services for veterans across the state. By choosing this plate, you proudly display a symbol of freedom while making a meaningful impact on the lives of those who served. LEARN MORE fvf@fdva.fl.gov Find us on Facebook 850-782-4305 DONATE

If you or a loved one is thinking about self-harm or feeling hopeless, reach out now. We understand that the challenges you've faced during your service can sometimes weigh heavily on your mind, and it's crucial to remember that seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. You are not alone in this struggle, and together we can navigate the darkest times and rediscover the strength and purpose that lies within you. FVF Dental Grant Program Are you a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to serving Florida's veterans? Do you have a passion for providing essential dental care to those who have sacrificed so much for our country? The Florida Veterans Foundation is now accepting grant applications to support organizations that offer vital dental services to veterans in need. We understand the challenges many veterans face in accessing quality dental care and are committed to making a positive impact on their lives. Grant funding will be used to: · Provide dental exams, cleanings, fillings, and extractions · Support dental dentures · Assist with specialized dental procedures To qualify for a grant, your organization must: · Be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Florida · Have a proven track record of serving veterans · Demonstrate a clear need for funding to support dental services TO APPLY: Please fill out the form below. Once this is submitted an application packet will be sent to the contact listed. Apply Here Organization's Name* Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)* Contact First Name* Contact Last Name* Contact Email* Contact Phone Number Address (Street, City, State, Zip Code)* How did you hear about us? Apply Now Please note the following: Definition of Veteran: According to Chapter 1.01 of the 2023 Florida Statues, “the term ‘veteran’ means a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service and who was discharged or released under honorable conditions only or who later received an upgraded discharge under honorable conditions, notwithstanding any action by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs on individuals discharged or released with other than honorable discharges. The term includes all members of the Florida National Guard and United States Reserve Forces who were discharged or released under honorable conditions only, or who later received an upgraded discharge under honorable conditions. Veteran Eligibility: Qualifying veterans must also meet the following requirements: · Been issued a DD-214, NGB 22 or Certificate of Discharge. · Residency requirement - eligible veterans must reside in Florida. · Be at a 300% Poverty Level or below as defined by the federal government at the time of their application. · Be less than 100% service-connected disabled. Dental Rules For more information please contact us at fvf@fdva.fl.gov

This once in a lifetime opportunity will honor a Veteran’s legacy in the new documentary A State at War: Florida During WWII, which will be cherished forever. Feature a Veteran in an Upcoming PBS Film This once in a lifetime opportunity will honor a Veteran’s legacy in the new documentary A State at War: Florida During WWII, which will be cherished forever. 3 Donation Levels – your Veteran’s name in the film credits – your Veteran’s name in the film credits with rank, and branch of service or more – your Veteran’s name and photo in the film credits with their name, rank, branch, and years of service Donate Today, and we will include your Veteran’s Legacy in this historical and memorable film, and on the Florida Veterans Foundation Memorial webpage. Millions of people around the world will view the program on PBS stations and other venues in the years to come. Memorial recognition in the film is limited. Honor your Veteran’s legacy through Your donation and help to support Veterans in need through a variety of programs and services provided by the Florida Veterans Foundation. The film is scheduled to be released on Veterans Day 2023 on PBS. $500 $1000 $2000 Preserve Your Veteran’s Legacy In This Historical Film Today 3 Donation Levels – your Veteran’s name in the film credits – your Veteran’s name in the film credits with rank, and branch of service or more – your Veteran’s name and photo in the film credits with their name, rank, branch, and years of service Note: Only a $2000 or more donation is granted a photo submission $500 $1000 $2000 Memorial Day Video Donation Form First name Last name Email Rank Service Organization Enter the amount you wish to pay: $ Donate Thank you for helping us make a difference! Memorial Video Photo Upload If you are donating a total of $2000 or more please upload your photo submission here: