Veteran’s View: ‘Day of Connection’ is an effort to prevent veteran suicides in Minnesota – Duluth News Tribune

The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs recently observed the sixth annual Veterans Suicide Prevention and Awareness Day, leading up to Veterans Day on November 11.

“Veteran suicide has become a disturbing trend over the last 20 years,” Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Brad Lindsay said in a speech

Statement of October 5

which included the Duluth dateline. “In Minnesota alone, we lose approximately 100 veterans to suicide each year. Today’s event is our opportunity to offer information, resources, support and solutions to help end veteran suicide in Minnesota. Moreover, it is our way of telling veterans that we are here for them.”

Commissioner Lindsay was right; although in reality the numbers may be even starker because many deceased veterans fall into a statistical gray zone characterized by substance abuse and other complicating variables.

To this end, findings from the US Warrior Partnership in 2023 suggest that the Department of Veterans Affairs may be underestimating the suicide rate of veterans. This includes countless overdose deaths, addiction-related incidents, and alcohol-related fatalities that, while not classified as suicides, still reflect the enormous mental health issues veterans face.

Loneliness and isolation are probably the most common factors that cause veteran suicide and here’s why

National Call the Warrior Day

every November is so important. It builds on the events of Suicide Prevention and Awareness Day and Veterans Day and extends from coast to coast, beyond Minnesota, asking all Americans to raise their hands to help.

Research shows that social connections are a protective factor, and National Warrior Call Day is a strategy and tactic to counter this reality. This initiative calls on Americans to simply reach out to veterans or active duty service members to provide connection and support. People in distress should be directed to available resources, such as a suicide hotline or local veteran support networks.

Notably, the grassroots Warrior Call movement gained bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate with Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and 39 others

support

the initiative to designate this day of action. She is also endorsed by major veterans’ service organizations, all seven living former secretaries of the Veterans Administration and 27 Medal of Honor recipients.

Warrior Call’s motto is simple but powerful: call, answer the phone and have an honest conversation with your service member or veteran. Even a short check-in can be a lifesaver, especially for those who may feel unseen or disconnected.

After years of talking to veterans and service members across the country, including Minnesota, I have seen how significant a simple conversation can be in alleviating loneliness and affirming hope. Call Warrior empowers families and communities to make these connections before their loved one or friend reaches crisis point.

Minnesota veterans need our support. By calling and helping someone who has been served, we can make a difference.

Frank Larkin of Annapolis, Maryland, is the chief operating officer of the Troops First Foundation (

armyfirstfoundation.org

) and chairman of the Warrior Call initiative (

warriorcall.org

). He is a former Navy SEAL, the 40th U.S. Senate Sergeant at Arms, and the father of a Navy SEAL son who died by suicide. He wrote this for the News Tribune.