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Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for America’s Veterans Act

I can tell you right now that hearts around the country are breaking for this Mom, but not for the reason you may think.
"Other mothers need to speak up like I’ve spoken up. My son wasn’t the first one to die — another mother should’ve opened her mouth. Maybe then my son would still be here.”

The problem is, many, far too many other Moms and Dads and all others grieving after suicides tied to military, even though she was not aware of them.

It hasn't just been the last few years, or the last decade. It has been decades since the first Moms, Dads, Wives and Husbands tried to do everything possible to prevent another family from suffering the way they did.

It was happening all over the country before the internet and even before I got into all of this over 30 years ago. We shared our pain, our fears and struggles, but we also shared what worked. We saved more than we lost but we lost too many along the way.

Now with the internet linking people together from around the world, we seem further away than we were in the 70's and 80's. The problem is the pain is discussed far more often than healing is.

More and more families are in fact talking about how they managed to stay together and help their veterans heal. Far from perfect but we learned by doing and living the lives of Combat PTSD Families.

This story made me cry because all of this pain should not be replacing smiles, hugs, joys and futures.

Losing more lives after combat does not make sense to any of us.
Veterans Suicide Prevention Act Honors Legacy of Thousands
Times San Diego
POSTED BY EDITOR
By Bryan Kim
AUGUST 27, 2014

Soldiers wounded in Iraq on a flight to Germany. Air Force photo

“When my son came home he was diagnosed with severe PTSD and TBI…they put him on more than 24 medications at one time. Now, somebody with severe PTSD — there’s no possible way for them to take control of medicating themselves…my son was 90 percent disabled,” she said. I was on the phone with Janine Lutz, CEO of the Lance Corporal Janos V. Lutz Live to Tell Foundation. “I think ‘we the people’ have to fight for those who fought for us. The families need to get involved. Other mothers need to speak up like I’ve spoken up. My son wasn’t the first one to die — another mother should’ve opened her mouth. Maybe then my son would still be here.”

Her son Johnny lost his battle with combat-related PTSD, or post traumatic stress disorder, in January of 2013. In spite of the fact that she and thousands of others have spoken up, 22 veterans continue to die by suicide every single day. Janine has dedicated time and energy to the project of honoring them through her online PTSD Memorial Wall — hundreds of photos of veterans who’ve lost their lives in their struggle to cope with their mental anguish. Young men and women from all branches smile in their uniforms, snapshots from a better time. Families from all over America have sent her photographs and loving eulogies. Seeing them all together is a monumental and humbling experience.

Our Congress has but three working weeks left in session, but that is plenty of time to pass the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for America’s Veterans Act (HR 5059). Clay Hunt was a Marine scout sniper who was discharged honorably in April 2009 after serving in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Initially given a disability rating of only 30% despite what he described as severe PTSD, he filed an appeal and fought our government for two years to get the benefits — including greater access to mental health care — he earned with his service. He was upgraded to 100 percent in April 2011, but it was too little, too late: he’d taken his life 5 weeks before the decision was made.
read more here


How many more bills do we need written for the dead when many more lived to share what congress ignores?

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