FACSAFOUNDATION.ORG SHATTERING THE SILENCE TOUR DOCUMENTARY PROJECT Volume 7 | Page 40

The War on Veteran Suicide Starts at Home
http://www.veteransunited.com/life/the-war-on-veteran-suicide-starts-athome/
by Levi Newman Published: September 20, 2013 12 Comments
“Too trapped in a war to be at peace, too damaged to be at war.”
These are the words that Army veteran Daniel Somers wrote on his laptop shortly before he
committed suicide on June 10, 2013. His words are upsetting; so much so that it makes me tear
up just writing them.
Somers, like many of the veterans we lose to suicide every day, was someone’s son. He was
someone’s husband. He was also a soldier, meaning he was my brother.
And he was yours, too.

Not Alone
Somers is not the only veteran caught in the void of despair. The horrifying truth is that America
is losing the war on veteran suicide, as reinforced by the many service members that are
surviving combat only to die by suicide. In fact, the largest branch of service, the Army, reported
in July that 134 soldiers — including active duty, reserves and National Guard — had committed
“potential” suicide between the beginning of the year and May. (“Potential” meaning some were
still under investigation.)
The number of all American troops killed in combat in that same time period was 52, according
to iCasualties.org.
A recent survey by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) suggests that nearly
one-third of all veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan have contemplated suicide. We, as a
nation, have continually found ways to send our service members into peacekeeping missions,
conflicts and wars, but we haven’t found out how to bring them peace at home.
That’s because people want to hear our stories of resilience and survival, of the medals on our
chest and of the differences we’ve made in the lives of others. They do not, however, want to
know about the despair and the strife, or the feelings inside that we keep bottled up. Those are
the kinds of ugly, unclean things that people shy away from. At least, that’s what service
members, who are taught to show no weakness, to internalize the pain and fear, have been led to
believe.
Therein lies the problem.