Thanks to a program called No Veteran Dies Alone, military veterans fighting their final battles at VA hospitals will have plenty of allies in their corners.

It’s a common saying in the military that no man should be left behind. This VA program takes that motto to the next level by ensuring that no veteran should die without someone else there to comfort and console them. Volunteers tend to the bedsides of dying veterans who have outlived their loved ones or live too far away.

The companionship and assistance they provide during a veteran’s final days can range from playing music or simply holding their hand.

The program is active in about one third of all VA hospitals nationwide. Many of the program’s most dedicated volunteers are also military veterans.

Nick Konz, an Army cook who served during the 1960s, volunteers with No Veteran Dies Alone at Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago. While he knows that he can’t stop the inevitable, Konz believes the solace he provides does make a difference.

“We’ll hold their hand, reassure them it’s OK to die and let them know that they’re not alone,” Konz said. “Somebody cares and appreciates what they did for us.”

“Every person’s death,” Konz noted, “is just as unique as that person’s life.”