President's Letter
Rather than draft and include a more "typical" President's letter, I want to highlight a continuing national tragedy that affects each and every one of us. We are experiencing an epidemic of veteran and soldier suicides in this nation. By conservative counts, at least 22 veterans a day are committing suicide, and a recent item in the "Army Times" indicates that another 20 active duty and Reserve warriors are committing suicide every week.
This is a genuine tragedy for all of us in the US and in POVA. I suspect we all know at least one soldier or veteran who has taken his/her own life, or made the attempt and struggles today. Within the past several days, yet another Psywarrior took his own life.....a young man, a family man.....now gone by his own hand. THIS IS AN ONGOING TRAGEDY! We can not simply sit idly by and watch our fellow Psywarriors go down this one-way path.
There is a feeling not only of deep personal loss when a veteran friend takes his/her own life, but also a feeling of powerlessness to help in any meaningful way.
I ask that all POVA members, families, and friends make a personal commitment to "spread the word" about the services offered by the Veterans Administration to help reduce the numbers of soldiers and veterans who take their own lives. It is not a perfect process, but it has had success and whether perfect or not, if it saves one life, then it has worked.
Had these services been available after Viet-Nam, there are friends I've lost who might still be alive today. Please.....if you know or suspect that any soldier or veteran is contemplating self-harm or suicide, take a few minutes and give him or her the phone number for:
The VA Veterans Crisis Line:
800-273-8255
Press "1"
It is NEVER too late to do the right thing BEFORE a fellow soldier or veteran makes that VERY FINAL decision. Nobody can better understand the difficulties that can be faced coming from a highly structured military environment or combat experience than one of us who has been there. We have to help wherever we can.
Please help wherever possible.
Chad Spawr
President
