Memorial Day is this coming Monday, May 26. It’s a little early this year as the calendar falls so I am writing this article as a way to remind us of this most important holiday. We have many holidays to remember our veterans and the various services and the various groups who have served our nation in the Armed Forces and they are each important; however, Memorial Day is the day where we remember those who gave their lives in the service of our country.
Many folks see it as the unofficial beginning of the summer period and head to the beach to get the summer kicked off, but let’s not forget the true meaning of this holiday and all those who gave their lives for us to have these freedoms. Originally celebrated in 1868 as Decoration Day, it was created to celebrate the fallen soldiers of the Civil War. The two World Wars changed it to honor the fallen in all of our country’s wars and changed the name to Memorial Day. In the year 2000, Congress passed the National Moment of Remembrance Act asking people to stop at 3 p.m. for a moment of remembrance for our country's fallen.
Memorial Day is one of our most important holidays with a meaning that we should all take seriously. Without those who are currently serving, those who have served, and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, we wouldn’t have the country we live in today. Sadly, in recent years, we have seen an uptick in veterans who have committed suicide. Currently, the latest government figures put veteran suicide at a rate of 16.8 deaths per day.
I had a recent conversation with a retired Veterans Administration executive, and he told me that the current suicide rate is similar to that the country saw shortly after the end of the Vietnam War. That suicide rate trailed off a bit into the 80s and 90s but has increased again following the wars in the middle east. The difference now is that we are much more open about discussing this in our society than we were in the 1970s and before – and we need to be.
I know most people don’t understand suicide and to be totally honest, I don’t wholly understand it myself. But each of us is different, we act and react to things differently and as such there isn’t one cookie-cutter solution to each of our issues. Having taken part in three combat deployments as a Naval Aircrewman, I have faced the demons of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which is caused by extremely stressful and terrifying events. While the effects of this caused me many a sleepless night, to flinch at the slightest surprise or disturbance, and other symptoms, I eventually sought the help I needed and after many years of counselling I learned the techniques and lifestyle changes that have helped me lead a normal life.
Sadly, many of my fellow veterans haven’t or didn’t find those outlets and have been lost. Some lost in the world and some lost to the world. Sadly, suicide is one of the leading causes of death for veterans in the United States. So, as we move on to this Memorial Day, I ask each of you to stop and take a moment at 3 p.m. on Monday to support our veterans and remember those who lost their lives both on the battlefi eld and back at home to the demons that dwell inside them. PTSD can be debilitating, paralyzing, and in far too many cases deadly, but it can be overcome before it comes to that.
If you know a Veteran who could use help, the Veterans’ Crisis Line can be called at 988, then press 1, or text 838225 to talk to someone. You can also reach out to my office at 254-697-7000.
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