October 28, 2025 – When an Army veteran from Durham joins 10,000 others from the veteran community at the Cenotaph Parade, in London on Sunday, 9 November, he will be hoping to send a strong message out to other veterans.
Dan Thomson, aged 43, served with the Light Dragoon Regiment and took part in a tour of Afghanistan. He is one of around 50 veterans, accompanied by carers, and staff from Help for Heroes, who will pay tribute to fallen comrades.
“I’m proud to have been invited to be part of the Help for Heroes delegation. On the day I think I’ll be feeling very emotional as we line up to start the march past. I’ll be thinking of all those people who made the ultimate sacrifice, to protect our freedoms, and in particular of my friends Philip Lawrence who also served with the Light Dragoons and, Anthony Lombardi, who served with the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers, who didn’t make it back from Afghanistan.”
Dan
Dan suffered a life-changing motorbike accident in August 2024, which left him with a broken neck, a traumatic brain injury, a paralysed right arm and weakness in his left arm. Doctors treating him at James Cook Hospital said he was lucky to survive. With the support of Help for Heroes Dan has begun to pick his life up again.
Dan has a straightforward message for other veterans:
“If you are struggling, whether it’s due to physical injury or mental health challenges, don’t suffer in silence.
“Before my accident, I didn’t think Help for Heroes was for people like me, I thought it was just for people who had been injured in conflicts. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The support I’ve had, from clinical advisors, the mental health team and grants for equipment, has been second to none.”
Rob Marston, Services Director for Help for Heroes added:
“As we join the nation to commemorate the men and women who lost their lives while serving our country, Help for Heroes also remembers those still fighting their own battles today.
“We remain at the side of veterans like Dan and their families who are struggling with painful injuries, mental trauma, isolation, and more – providing life-changing support for as long as it takes. That’s why it’s more important than ever that the public makes a promise to stand alongside our veterans to ensure they get the support they deserve.”
Demand for support from charities like Help for Heroes continues to grow. Every day, five people leave the Armed Forces because of injury or illness, and 40 per cent of medically discharged veterans feel unprepared for civilian life. Nearly half of veterans (48.7 per cent) report living with a disability, highlighting the challenges many continue to face after leaving service.
Help for Heroes champions the Armed Forces community and helps people live well after service. The Charity supports veterans and their families with their physical and mental health, as well as welfare and social needs. It has already supported tens of thousands – and won’t stop until every veteran gets the support they deserve.   
The Charity supports veterans from any branch of the UK military – regulars or reserves – irrespective of length or place of service, and locally embedded civilians who worked under the command of UK Armed Forces.   
To get support visit helpforheroes.org.uk or call 0300 303 9888
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