Suicides

Using Department of Defense and Veterans Adminstration's own numbers apprx. 20%, or 18 verterans a day commit suicide. There are two things I believe about this. 1) The numbers are low, basically because of the number of veterans that fall off the radar once leaving the service, and it is important to note that this number does NOT include active duty suicides, which are at a record high level. 2) Most veterans' suicides are directly linked to their combat experience. The fighting on the battlefield may have ended long ago, but the battle within their minds rages on for years, often in silence due to the shame they feel as having to be labled as mentally ill in order to be treated. These men and women served proudly for this country and deserved to be understood and cared for by the people they fought to protect.