The Quiet Man Award-winning video on veteran suicide

Numbers are wrong but still a good story

Award-winning video on veteran suicide aims to save more lives
WSLS 10 News
By Erin Brookshier - Virginia Today Reporter
Published: September 8, 2016

ROANOKE (WSLS 10)– It’s a topic that can be difficult or uncomfortable to talk about, but one that’s in the national spotlight this month–suicide.

For the military, the issue is very real, with an estimated 22 veterans taking their own life each day. Burdened with the stigma associated with mental health issues and the military shame that surrounds Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), many veterans turn to suicide instead of reaching out for help.

John Koelsch, a local veteran, says he knows how they feel– he almost took his own life nearly two decades ago. Now he’s working to help those in the same position he was, suffering in silence.

He created a short film centered on veteran suicide, called The Quiet Man, that will soon be played in VA Hospital waiting rooms. The award-winning video features two veterans talking. One of them shows signs of depression and feelings of unworthiness before taking his own life.

Koelsch says he hopes this video will be able to break through to veterans considering suicide.
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