AARP Hearing Center
No Hero Left Behind
From the foothills of Appalachia to the Congressional chambers of Washington D.C., Heather French Henry has supported veterans and their families attempting to navigate reintegration into civilian life.
AARP
When Heather French Henry took the stage at the Southern Legislative Conference, Miss America crown in hand, she captured the audience. Speaking to a room full of policy makers, she told her journey from being crowned on stage to being a dynamic veterans advocate at the state and federal level.
AARP
Heather French Henry's mission to aid veterans started when she was just a little girl in northeastern Kentucky. Her father is a proud Vietnam War Veteran and her personal hero. As she grew up, things started to change. She saw the night terrors, substance abuse, and mood swings from her dad's PTSD. Except, this was the 1970's; PTSD hadn't fully been defined by medical professionals. This resulted in few resources for veterans suffering from this disorder. If these veterans didn't have resources, their families certainly didn't either. There was no nice way to explain these symptoms to a young child.
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This did not stop Heather; it motivated her. She went to college, worked full time, and competed in Miss Kentucky pageants. She was on stage four times before she finally got the crown on her fifth and final attempt. She then went on to win the Miss America title and traveled across the country advocating on behalf of veterans. She spoke about her dad who had finally gotten help after far too long and her uncle, another Vietnam veteran, who was homeless and struggling in Florida. Her upbringing is still close to her heart, and this personal connection is what draws people in.
French Henry coordinated with federal legislators to introduce a homeless veterans assistance bill titled with her namesake. Later, she was appointed as the Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Veteran Affairs. She has remained a fierce advocate and ally for veterans across the nation.
She concluded her speech with a call to action for the audience. Find your Why. She found her why in her dad and other veterans across the nation. Our Why is our strongest motivating factor. Once established, obstacles are easy to overcome.
AARP Kentucky is proud to support Heather and the Heather French Henry Foundation for Veterans. Her mission to serve veterans is shared by AARP and its outreach to serve veterans. Find the free collection of AARP Veterans resources, go to aarp.org/veterans
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