Veterans hold silent vigil to end suicides

Silent vigil protests loss of veterans to suicide
Daily News Journal
Christopher Merchant
August 22, 2014

Veteran Matthew O'Dell, owner of Reveille Joe Coffee Co. and a veterans advocate, held a silent rally on the Public Square with other veterans to raise awareness of post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide among veterans. Behind him is veteran Malcolm Stallard. The 22 indicates the number of veterans who commit suicide each day. (Photo: John A. Gillis/DNJ)

MURFREESBORO – More than a dozen people stood silently Friday on the Murfreesboro Public Square.

They held cardboard signs with various messages written on them:

• "I am a veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder."

• "There are 22 veterans who commit suicide each day."

• "I am a veteran who has contemplated suicide."

Matthew O'Dell, the owner of Reveille Joe Coffee Company on the Square and a veteran who served in the U.S. Army and Marines, organized the silent demonstration.

"On average, 22 veterans are dying every day," O'Dell said after the demonstration. "Because they suffer in silence, we'll stay out here in the 100-degree heat and stay silent."

The group selected to hold the event on the 22nd day of the month in reference to veterans committing suicide, O'Dell said. He intends to hold his silent vigil on the same day every month.

Another veteran who participated in the event, Matthew Lange, talked about the difficulty retired personnel can have when seeking care.

"There's still a stigma about being a soldier and talking about those things," said Lange, who served in three tours in Iraq . "I can remember getting ready to come back home, and that was the worst time."
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