Amid the celebrations of Veterans Day, veterans who are often forgotten are those who have committed suicide. Those veterans should be honored for their service.
The statistics of veteran suicides are numbing. Reporting on the epidemic, Newsweek on May 28 stated that "about 18 veterans kill themselves each day ... in fact, the number of U.S. soldiers who have died by their own hand is now estimated to be greater than the number (6,460) who have died in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq."Some reasons given for this epidemic are multiple deployments, inadequate suicide-prevention training, a backlog of 900,000 veteran benefit claims, drug and alcohol abuse, and a "suck it up" mentality that discourages veterans from seeking help.Tragically, the men and women we have sent to war are killing themselves in unprecedented numbers. They have been mortally wounded as surely as those who have been killed in combat.Instead of being buried under a cloud of shame, they should be honored posthumously. Such recognition would be a meaningful way of recognizing their service and of helping their loved ones bring closure to their loss.-- Bernard Kern, North Richland HillsHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
