A few weeks ago, in my role, I helped give military honors to a deceased veteran. In dealing with the family, I discovered that the veteran had committed suicide. Why is unknown. He was a highly decorated US Army veteran. A respected member of his community, a loving father and son. Then why did he take his own life? Members of his family and community asked what we could have done and why he took his own life. What demons were persecuting him? He sought advice. Why then? Had he got to a point where he didn’t want to continue? What drove him over the edge? What pain was he in? We may never know.
Veteran suicide is a growing issue and crisis that can only be improved through recognition and discussion in society. Part of the story, however, is that it is rarely recognized and how deep its story goes. This issue is not limited to a single country or time, nor is its meaning limited to awareness days. Military suicide has been going on around the world for centuries, but it has mostly been overlooked or ignored. It’s a difficult subject. In order to save future lives and to pay respect to those who have committed suicide, this story needs to be explored, recognized, and debated.
And we mustn’t forget the veterans. The issue of suicide among female veterans is complex. Women in the military can deal with a complicated trauma history as well as increased scrutiny of their emotional state and mental health. Women’s health and emotional state are forgotten. Female veterans have the same emotional and physical problems as their male counterparts, but are as often as not forgotten.
Veteran suicide, as I see it, is a pandemic, just like COVID, without all of the press coverage. The numbers break down as follows: 22 per day, 154 per week, 8,008 per year. How can we cure this pandemic? There is no vaccine. Not a quick cure. There are phone numbers and support facilities, as well as other ways, to help fight this pandemic. The big question is how to get this information across to the veterans in need. How do we help them in their need? We as a community have a moral obligation to ensure that all veterans in the community have all the resources to help combat its pandemic.
This pandemic that has taken veterans from their friends and families. These deaths have taken their toll on everyone. The unanswered questions are: what could we have done; how could we have prevented it? What are the signs? All of these questions are almost unanswerable. We as a community have to find the answers, and when we find them, we as a community have to implement them. Then the question arises, how do we implement them? Some say it is the responsibility of the VA. Some say it is the responsibility of the veterans or even the families. All of this plus the responsibility of the communities.
We as a community have to look deeply and say: What can I do to put a stop to this pandemic? How can I reach those in need? When I get there, what can I do to help? I have a couple of friends who told me what it takes to get a veteran in on a suicide watch. It’s sad. It has to be made easier. The VA isn’t really helpful when it comes to getting a veteran on a suicide watch. While the veteran is being cared for, what about the family? They, too, suffer as much as the veteran. This pandemic has caused families to break up, adding further strain to the veteran’s already fragile state of mind. So now we have to see how we can help families. Some families do not want to face the fact that the veteran committed suicide. In fact, it takes time for the family to realize this. We mustn’t forget the children of a veteran’s suicide either. How are you affected? We have to look at all of this as a community.
Simply put, both men and women veterans die. It is crucial that we as a community recognize this, discuss and face it and develop a plan to stop it. What Matters: A veteran’s suicide is one too many.
Wesley S. Anderson, Department of Washington Chaplain, Foreign War Veterans, Post 51 Service Officer, Post 51 Chaplain.
source https://www.bisayanews.com/2021/09/12/wesley-anderson-why-did-he-do-it/
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