PTSD Awareness Month Remembered with 660 White Crosses

Crosses at Ypsilanti church represent suicides by veterans, raise awareness for help
The Detroit News
Holly Fournier
June 13, 2014

Sgt. Zachary Potter with his father, Timothy, and sister, Jordan. at the Taylor Sportsplex in 2008. Zack's suicide inspired friends to create the Veteran's Refuge Network.
(Timothy Potter)

Timothy Potter blames an overwhelmed Veterans Affairs system in the death of his son.

Army Sgt. Zachary Potter of Dearborn struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder for nine years after serving two tours in Iraq. He was in and out of VA hospitals in Tennessee and Michigan.

Frustrated by delays for medical help, he took his life Jan. 9. He was 32.

“I just really feel like the military let him down,” said Timothy Potter, also of Dearborn. “He was out there looking for help.”

Zachary Potter’s death prompted close friend Andrew Turner, his wife, Jamie, and friend Laura Chirio to create the Veteran’s Refuge Network to raise awareness of veteran suicides and remove any stigma associated with PTSD.

This month, as part of PTSD Awareness Month, the organization launched a “660 White Crosses” awareness campaign on the campus of Pineview Church in Ypsilanti. Volunteers are planting 22 wooden crosses each day. The crosses represent the estimated 22 veterans of all ages who commit suicide each day, according to a 2010 study by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
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