Then another, from farther East on Clifton, "Jim check out these soldiers..." So off I went,
I always enjoys talking with people on the streets of Lakewood, and soldiers might be an
interesting conversation. I grew up in a military family.
Meet Gary and Mike.
It seems Gary and Mike had come back from Iraq, and were talking about the various things that happen with Vets that come back, and they thought they should do something to highlight the number of Vets committing suicide in increasing numbers. They went up
by 50% in the last year. The suicide rate among veterans vastly exceeds that of active-duty troops. According to estimates last year by the US Department of Veterans’ Affairs, a US military veteran commits suicide every 80 minutes – totaling 18 veterans a day.
Gary shows me their route from Oak Harbor, and their destination at the WWII Monument
on Public Square. They had started yesterday, and had plans to be at the monument by
8pm, where they would be driven back home.
And off they went into the night, about 7pm,doing what they could to help those they served with.
About 90 minutes later I got a call from a friend three blocks away from this spot,
and he said, "Jim, you got to talk with these soldiers..." I asked when he talked to them,
he said, "They just left." I have to think they missed their ride back, but it was all for a
good cause.
Suicide rates are up everywhere, but losing one veteran every 80 minutes to suicide is
unacceptable. Losing one person to suicide is bad enough.
Well, just another thing observed in, or going through, Lakewood, Ohio!
.