Last month, I received a call from our Post 2 bartender on duty one evening. She had been talking to a veteran in crisis on a Friday evening for about a half-hour. He was an admitted alcoholic who had left Texas driving all the way to Helena, Mont., for help. En route, he had been drinking and said he had rolled his truck five times but survived. He continued by bus to Helena still hoping to get help and was staying at a local hotel.
He reached out to our local American Legion Post 2 in Helena for help. Our bartender talked him into just staying calm and then called me (the Post 2 commander) and gave me his motel room phone number about 9 p.m. I called him and determined he felt safe that evening. He soon trusted in me because I was a fellow veteran who understood and cared about him in his situation. After a long talk, I coordinated driving him the next morning (Saturday) to our VA hospital. Like many veterans, he was not comfortable admitting himself alone.
I walked him into the emergency room and then up to a room. I then bought him sweat clothes and tennis shoes on Sunday morning (and some chewing tobacco). On Monday he was flown to a treatment center for detox and in-house treatment for his suicidal issues. I send him a text every day and call and talk to him every week. He is doing well now after 1 1/2 months and is committed to a successful recovery. You can’t believe how grateful he is for our help. Where would he be today without our American Legion national emphasis on Be the One?