Memory Way supports families of the fallen and missing—across all nations
Memory Way is a Ukrainian-registered non-governmental organization (NGO) providing direct and remote support to families of service members from more than 70 countries who have been reported as Prisoners of War (POW), Missing in Action (MIA), or Killed in Action (KIA) in the war in Ukraine.
Through our International Family Assistance Center (IFAC)—opening in Kyiv in March 2026—we help families find answers and navigate the Ukrainian military and government system. We connect families with counseling and grief-support resources, and assist with benefits guidance and legal support so they are not left to face this process alone.
Become a Memory Way partner organization. Let’s work together to help all families affected by the war in Ukraine.
Please visit our partners’ websites and learn how they also help Ukrainian and international families affected by the war in Ukraine and how you can help them achieve their humanitarian goals.
Our Story
Ukrainian Armed Forces Colonel (Ret.) Vitali Ostapchuk and US Army Sergeant First Class (Ret.) Michael Henshaw co-founded Memory Way as a Ukrainian-registered NGO in 2025 through their shared combat experiences with the Ukrainian Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (Koorshtab) and the U.S. Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), understanding that families from all nations will require direct support for many years after the end of the war in Ukraine.
Our Current Projects
- Launching the IFAC in Kyiv for families of non-Ukrainian missing persons.
- Connecting and assisting families of missing Ukrainian and international volunteers.
How We Help – Now and in Postwar
International Family Assistance Center (IFAC)
Our IFAC offices in Kyiv and Corpus Christi, Texas assist families of the fallen and missing by providing grief counseling, external resources, DNA collection and processing (through our US partner lab), support with MiD and Ukrainian ministries, information about their loved-one’s status and loss details, legal support and help obtaining benefits
Asymmetric MIA Accounting Group (AMAG Partnership)
AMAG provides specialized field teams and training to facilitate the postwar MIA accounting effort through search, recovery, transportation, storage, interment and repatriation of remains in support of Ukrainian government and international MIA accounting and identification operations.
Leadership
Founded by Colonel Vitali Ostapchuk and Michael Henshaw, supported by an international team of humanitarian, military, and volunteer specialists.
Cadaver Dog Teams
Memory Way is assisting AMAG with establishing incountry teams of specially-trained cadaver dogs and Ukrainian handlers to locate non-surface remains that would otherwise remain lost for generations, bringing closure to many more families of the missing from over seventy countries. Donate to help AMAG establish and maintain these teams at: www.AMAGonline.org
DNAC Collection, Processing and Comparison to Aid in Identifications
Memory Way uses experiences investigators and genealogists to locate eligible DNA family reference sample (FRS) donors and securely obtain their DNA for processing and comparison in our US partner laboratory ot through chain if custody transfers to another Ukrainian or international lab for comparison to postmortem samples recovered from unidentified remains
Our Worldwide Humanitarian Experience
Memory Way’s leaders have experience operating in conflict and post-conflict environments from the beginning of the war in Ukraine, WW2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and in post-disaster operations from 9/11, the Indian Ocean Tsunami, the Haiti Earthquake and other manmade and natural disasters around the world and are experts in operating in remote, austere environments to ensure families receive the answers they need.
Memory Way — Mission Statement
Memory Way’s mission is to preserve memory, protect dignity, and deliver answers for both Ukrainian and international families of the fallen and missing. We are a Ukrainian-registered, family centered humanitarian organization supporting loved ones of those killed in action (KIA) or missing in action (MIA), helping them navigate recovery, identification, and dignified return or burial with clear information, compassionate guidance, and responsible documentation.
Through our International Family Assistance Center (IFAC), we provide coordinated support that may include case guidance and liaison assistance, certified translation and document support, facilitation of DNA collection and coordination for comparison when appropriate, and practical help understanding repatriation, interment, and benefits pathways. Our goal is to reduce uncertainty, shorten delays, and ensure families are never left without clarity or care.
We work in close partnership with AMAG and a U.S.-based DNA processing laboratory to strengthen field-to-family coordination and help improve outcomes for identification and closure. Above all, Memory Way exists to ensure that remembrance becomes meaningful action—and that every family receives respect, truth, and support when it matters most.
How You Can Help
Volunteer
Join international and Ukrainian teams assisting families and managing case information.
Partner
Corporations, NGOs and agencies can support with logistics, funding and outreach.