Georgette Wenton loves her husband Jason, but she faces challenges due to his service in the U.S. Army.

Jason served during Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

“His most visible wounds are below the knee amputations, but he also suffers from two types of arthritis, major depressive disorder and PTSD,” Wenton said. “As Jason’s caregiver, I often forget about how much I actually do for him, because I do so many things and I do them so often.”

Wenton must not only care for her husband, but she is also responsible for all household chores to maintain their home.

She does it with a smile, even after her own cancer diagnosis.

Wenton read a letter from a fellow military caregiver who observed her and her husband and noted that the outside observations were “eye-opening.”

“Beside an injured veteran, you see a hidden hero,” Wenton read. “Caregivers, maybe a spouse, child, mother, father, friend.

“...Caregivers are on the home front of the battlefields that come home to us. We serve life appointments. Our lifelong battle never ends. Many of us quit our jobs and lose our identities. We spend every moment putting our veteran’s physical and emotional health before our own We lose control over making choices of our lives ... But we perform our duties with honor, strength and courage. We love, it takes everything in us. We don’t ask. We don’t get financially compensated. We simply ask for the support we need to take care of our hero and yet we are invisible.”

Wenton’s story is one of many who give their all for their country in a different way, caring for their loved one who served in the military.

To try and shed a light on this, on Thursday, Carbon County joined 194 communities nationwide by becoming an Elizabeth Dole Foundation Hidden Heroes county.

The foundation, created in 2016 by Sen. Elizabeth Dole and actor Tom Hanks, aims to identify military caregivers and increase awareness and support for those caring for a veteran.

It brings to the forefront the issues military caregivers face, and brings resources to them to help care for their loved one, as well as themselves.

“If we want to be a nation that truly cares for those who have borne the battle, we must also be a nation that cares for our caregivers,” said Tom Hanks, Hidden Heroes Campaign Chair, in a prepared statement.

Carbon County’s designation now means that it will help identify local military caregivers and develop resources to help them on many levels.

“Carbon County identified a gap in its strategy to more thoroughly meet the needs of our veteran population, supporting those who labor lovingly to care for those who’ve bore the physical and mental scars and degradation of protecting our freedoms,” said Commissioner Chris Lukasevich. “By leveraging the network and resources of Hidden Heroes’ communities, we will work deliberately to identify, connect, and support Carbon’s military and veteran caregivers.”

Carbon County also recently became the first in the nation to sign on as an Operation Green Light for Veterans County to show support of veterans.

“With today’s pledge as a Hidden Heroes County, caregivers can be equally assured,” Lukasevich said.

Caregivers can find support at the Carbon County Veterans Affairs office or can visit HiddenHeroes.org for more information.