Tom Hanks is here once again to remind people why he is so likable.
Friday morning, Hanks surprised a wounded veteran and his wife on The Today Show as a part of his work as campaign chair for the Elizabeth Dole Foundation’s Hidden Heroes campaign.
The heartwarming video shows Hanks greeting Pat and Jimmy Ochan each with a jovial bear hug, much to their astonishment. Jimmy Ochan was deployed three times as a U.S. marine in Iraq and Afghanistan. Through his service he sustained a traumatic brain injury, shrapnel wounds and now suffers from PTSD. Pat opted to put aside her pursuit of a Ph.D to care for him and their son. Following the warm welcome, the Ochans and Hanks sat down with Savannah Guthrie to discuss Hidden Heroes.
Initiated in 2016, the Hidden Heroes campaign “brings vital attention to the untold stories of military caregivers and seeks solutions for the tremendous challenges and long-term needs they face,” according to their mission statement. Hidden Heroes provides resources for families of wounded veterans, helping to connect them with volunteer caregivers in addition to other support resources.
Hanks has been a chairman of the campaign since its inception, and stressed the importance of providing assistance to these families. “It is 24 hours a day that that loved one is going to require a certain type of care and attention…and one family can not do it by themselves,” he said in the segment.
“Everybody can write a check, without a doubt. But it is not a substitute for one on one connection.” Hanks said.
See the video below.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Trump’s Message Worked on Latino Men
- What Trump’s Win Could Mean for Housing
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives
- Column: Let’s Bring Back Romance
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Write to Wilder Davies at wilder.davies@time.com