Vietnam Vet ends hunger strike over military suicides

Vet ends hunger strike over military suicides
By Patricia Kime
Army Times
Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Sep 6, 2012

A Vietnam veteran who launched a hunger strike to draw attention to the tragedy of military suicides ended his fast Thursday, saying an executive order on military and veterans mental health signed by President Obama on Aug. 31 met his goals.

Tom Mahany ate a bowl of cream of potato soup — his first solid food in 17 days — after reviewing Obama’s directive and seeing that a task force ordered in the directive is required to consult with “relevant nongovernmental experts and organizations as necessary.”

Outside input from civilian agencies and experts who deal in suicide and mental health care was among the goals Mahany sought.

Mahany had previously said he didn’t think the president’s executive order went far enough to help reverse the rise in military and veterans suicides.

“With the inclusion, we now have the entre we have been striving for to breathe new life into this debate and change the dialog from concentrating solely on the result and beginning the discussion of cause,” Mahany told Military Times.
read more here

Hunger-strike Vietnam vet: Obama still not doing enough