In June 2022, following the lead of American Legion National Headquarters, Post 68 launched a suicide awareness program for law enforcement and emergency responder personnel in the Leland area. The team built on VA’s SAVE (Seek, Ask, Validate and Encourage) initiative to identify veterans in crisis and connect them with appropriate care and assistance.
Under the leadership of Past Commander John Hacker, the Post 68 Be the One team led outreach efforts and expanded its program to include other Legion posts across eastern North Carolina and local political leaders. The training featured a simple 10-step process to help other Legion posts develop their own outreach programs.
The team’s pinnacle achievement was developing and issuing a wallet-sized plastic resource card that is easy to carry and access. The card identifies and links to critical community resources, including housing, medical care, food, substance abuse services and more. It is especially useful for law enforcement and first responders, as well as for Legion post commanders, veterans resource officers and other community service organizations.
Hacker, currently the second vice commander of Post 68, chairs the Department of North Carolina’s Be the One program. Post 68 Commander Tom Powers serves as co-chair of the state-level program. Future plans include working with Green Star Families, an organization that supports families affected by veteran suicide, and pursuing other training opportunities in
development to increase community involvement in the suicide awareness and outreach program.
As long as veteran suicides remain an issue and veterans’ families are in crisis, Post 68’s work remains unfinished. Under the theme of Connection, Collaboration and Service, the post continues to engage with local law enforcement, elected officials, businesses and other service organizations to make the community a better place to live.