PHILADELPHIA - s4story -- As national attention increasingly turns toward global conflict and military readiness, families across the United States say another reality continues to unfold at home—one that often goes unrecognized.

Each year, thousands of Veterans die by suicide, leaving behind families navigating a loss many say is still not fully acknowledged.

That loss does not come with a formal designation or national recognition.

For many families, the silence that follows can be as difficult as the loss itself.

"We were grieving, but it felt like we were invisible," said Natalie Brett, who lost her husband, an Army Veteran, to suicide. "There was no moment where anyone said, 'We see you.'"

Brett is now a board member of Green Star Families of America, a Veteran-led nonprofit working to establish formal recognition for families of Veterans lost to suicide.

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The organization was founded by U.S. Army Medic and 26-year Veteran Matt Cahill, who experienced firsthand the challenges many Veterans face after returning home from service.

"Families are carrying this loss in every community across the country," Cahill said. "But many feel like their experience is not part of the national conversation around service and sacrifice."

Green Star Families of America is advocating for the establishment of the Green Star Service Banner, a proposed national symbol intended to recognize families who have lost a Veteran to suicide.

The effort has grown into a national legislative movement, with H.R. 6022 introduced in Congress to formally recognize these families.

Advocates say that while federal data confirms thousands of Veteran suicides each year, stigma, underreporting, and the complexity of tracking these deaths mean the full impact on families is not widely understood.

Across the country, families continue to navigate this loss quietly, often without acknowledgment or support.

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In the Philadelphia region, the issue has been felt particularly close to home following the loss of a local Veteran less than a year ago. His story, now tied to the federal legislation, reflects the broader reality facing families nationwide.

For Cahill, the mission is rooted in ensuring that these families are no longer unseen.

"This is about acknowledgment," he said. "About making sure their loved one's service, and their family's loss, are recognized as part of the full story of military service."

As conversations around military service and sacrifice return to the forefront, advocates say recognition is a critical step toward bringing visibility to families who have long carried this loss without it.

For Brett, the message is simple.

"This isn't about politics," she said. "It's about making sure families are seen." https://greenstarfamilies.org/