Veterans Day: Today 55 veterans decide suicide

Today 55 veterans decide suicide
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
November 11, 2013

At least 22 veterans will take their own lives today. "Nearly 70 percent of all veteran suicides were among men and women aged 50 or older, the VA said." That told part of the story that shocked the entire nation.

The other part of the story came out in 2010. "Our suicide prevention coordinators are identifying about 1,000 suicide attempts per month among veterans we see in our medical facilities." But if you read the words to both figures carefully, you'll see that those numbers, those sad numbers, are just the ones they counted.

There are over 22 million veterans in this country. This one nation they served, risking their lives for the others they were sent with, we have separated them by title of war. There were no telethons for Korean War, Vietnam War or Gulf War veterans with PTSD and TBI. Their care depends on where they live with one state doing well by them and another failing them.

Even with the news that most of the veterans committing suicide are from past generations of veterans, they are forgotten about as if they no longer matter. The Department of Veterans Affairs issues a report on the pending claims they call "inventory" and it shows what the numbers are from different wars.
Pending VA Claims

Backlog of VA Claims

"There are 3.9 million Veterans of all eras who are currently in receipt of disability benefits from VA." As you read above, they admitted there are 12,000 attempted suicides a year as of 3 years ago but the part of "we see in our medical facilities" confirms we not even close to the true numbers. There are about 19 million veterans not being seen or in the VA system.

Reporters don't seem interested in the other generations even though more of them have suffered for many more years. If we continue to ignore what history has proven, this new generation will face even harsher years ahead.

How many more graves are we willing to dig for them because being back home has become worse than war? These men and women put the lives of others ahead of themselves, survived combat but cannot find the same will to live back here.

It is not all hopeless and there have been stories of WWII veterans seeking help to heal. As soon as they talk about it, it stops getting worse. Even poor programs can help simply by giving them a safe ear to listen without judgement. Until we take care of all our veterans equally, with every charity focused on them instead of further isolating them we will miss the best healing possible and that is provided by other veterans who have been there and done that. What is even more impressive is when these older veterans help the younger ones, they heal even more.