This Veterans Day, Let’s Turn Gratitude Into Action

A letter from Ryan Mitchell, Founder of Space Beyond

Every year, at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, our nation pauses — a shared breath of gratitude for those who served, who stood watch, and who carried the weight of freedom on their shoulders.

But in recent years, I’ve noticed something. For many Americans, Veterans Day has become just another holiday, a time to rest or catch up on chores, when it was meant to be a day of reflection and resolve.

And yet, the need for that resolve has never been greater.

The Service and the Silence That Follows

Today, more than 15 million veterans live among us throughout the United States. Each year, nearly 600,000 of these heroes pass away, their stories quietly joining the long arc of history. Some are laid to rest in national cemeteries with full honors and others are memorialized in ways of their choosing. Yet still, many of our heroes have no final tribute beyond the memories held by those who loved them.

At the same time, veteran families are facing more hardship than many realize. The cost of living has risen faster than veteran benefits for many, and one in three veteran households report financial strain. For families already carrying grief, even a modest memorial can feel out of reach.

But that doesn’t mean these lives should fade quietly into the background. Their service deserves to be remembered and honored. Not someday, not somewhere else, but now.

A New Way to Honor Their Journey

That belief is why I founded Space Beyond, and why we created Hero Tributes.

Anyone can sponsor a veteran’s space memorial. For $249, we will send a symbolic portion of their ashes on a journey beyond this world. Every recipient hero’s name is engraved permanently on the outside of our spacecraft and their family is invited to share their story and photos on our Ashtronaut Tribute webpage. Sponsors receive a digital certificate, recognition on our Wall of Sponsors, updates on their hero’s journey, and an opportunity to share a message with the recipient hero’s family.

It’s not about spectacle. It’s about meaning. It’s a way to say:

Your service mattered. Your memory endures. And the country you served hasn’t forgotten you.

This Veterans Day, Do More Than Thank Them

We can’t all stand in formation. We can’t all visit a national cemetery. But we can all act.

Sponsoring a Hero Tribute transforms gratitude into something real — a gift of remembrance, a final salute carried to the stars.

If you’ve ever wanted to do something more than say “thank you for your service,” this is your chance.

This Veterans Day, don’t let the moment pass quietly.
Honor a hero. Carry their story upward.
Let their service, and our gratitude, shine among the stars.

Sponsor a Hero Tribute

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Author Note

Ryan Mitchell is the founder of Space Beyond, an aerospace memorial company based in Satellite Beach, Florida. Through Hero Tributes, Space Beyond partners with the public and Veteran Organizations to sponsor space memorials for U.S. veterans, ensuring their service is honored in a way that is both lasting and inspiring.