Help is out there for suicidal veterans

Bellerose, NY

It has just come to my attention that on the average 22 military veterans kill themselves everyday in our country. This I find most troubling and very sad. I myself served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam era and suffered from depression. I thought of and tried to commit suicide while being homeless after my discharge from the military in 1975, But I did get help. Therefore, I feel for these veterans and their families. I am now a member of American Legion Post 103 in Douglason, N.Y., and believe more needs to be done for those who have served our country with dedication and pride to protect those freedoms we all hold most dear. Now they need our help. The VA and The American Legion have programs that can help. There is also the Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Project that lets veterans get counseling anonymously in a small-group setting to manage post-traumatic stress disorder in addition to other disorders. This program is in 22 New York State counties. But these programs can only help if the veteran decides to take the first step. So if you know a veteran in that situation, help them take the first step. For a veteran's life is most sacred.

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