SAFFORD — During Saturday’s Veteran’s Day ceremony on the steps of Graham County Courthouse, Eric Taylor called everyone to help when there’s a veteran in crisis.
He asked everyone to be the one, to save one.
“What that is, is to prevent veteran suicide,” Taylor said. “Be the one simply means to be the one to speak out, be the one to offer a hand when you see a veteran suffering from PTSD, or other things going on. If you see that maybe they’re just not quite right.”
Taylor, the commander of American Legion Swift-Murphy Post 32, said the Be The One initiative was started by the American Legion with the goal of erasing the stigma of veterans seeking mental health help.
More information can be found at Be the One | The American Legion.
The Veterans Administration’ National Veterans Suicide Prevention Annual Report for 2022 shows that veterans are averaging 16.8 suicides per day in 2020, the last year data was made available, down from a high of 18.6 in 2018.
While the number of suicides among the general, non-veteran population was higher — average of 121 per day in 2020 — the number of veteran suicides per 100,000 population was almost double. In 2020, there were 31.7 veteran suicides per 100,000, compared to 16.1 non-veteran suicides per 100,000.
Veterans in crisis can seek help by dialing 988, then pressing 1, or by texting 838255. One does not have to be enrolled VA benefits to VA healthcare to get help.
Veterans can also connect with service providers at the Gila Valley Veterans and Family Resource Fair, Friday, Nov. 17, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Graham County Fairgrounds.
Put on by Gila Valley Veterans Services, the event connects veterans and their families with benefits and service providers, including medical and dental providers, housing services, and behavioral health and substance abuse counseling.
Other presenters at Saturday’s Veteran’s Day ceremony included Graham County Supervisor Paul David offering the opening and closing prayers, Andy Davis signing the national anthem, and the featured speaker was Safford High School and West Point graduate Jason Green.
The ceremony followed a short parade down Safford’s Main Street, past the Field of Honor Flags at Safford’s City Hall and the Graham County Courthouse.
