PONCHATOULA, La. — Every day in the U.S. an average of 18 veterans take their own lives. Most of them are young, between the ages of 18 and 34.
While doctors are learning more and more about how brain injuries can lead to suicide, one local VFW post is taking action to get veterans the help they need.
Veterans in Ponchatoula began their day Thursday by raising nearly five dozen flags to honor those warriors who have gone before them, but the veterans at the American Legion Post 47, are dedicated to a much greater mission every day of the year.
“I vowed to his family that I would go to my grave, on my last dying breath, to prevent another veteran suicide,” said Shawn Cronan.
Navy, Army and National Guard veteran Shawn Cronan is talking about the loss of another man who served, Matthew Comeaux. It happened 10 years ago. He was 21. And then it happened to him again.
“Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office, my very first call was an 83-year-old Korean War veteran. And he took his life. I had to come home. I had to come home because it rocked me,” said Cronan.
The commander of Post 47, Army veteran Brian Fladmo, says the warrior bond is stronger than any friendship civilians can imagine. They would die for each other on the battlefield, and here stateside, they refuse to let their brothers and sisters die from the scars from traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and other mental battle wounds, like the ones they know first hand.
“They feel like they're all alone. They can't even talk to their family or their loved ones because they know that they won't understand, or they know that they don't want to burden them,” said Brian Fladmo.
To prevent suicides and substance abuse, they are setting up peer support groups, individual mentors, speakers, family outreach, doctor connections, help finding jobs and getting benefits, education about being over medicated on prescriptions, and they are trying to start veterans’ court, to get help for those whose mental illness is at the root of a crime.
“We battle every day, but if we can grab that youngster behind us and say, ‘Come on brother, we're walking together,’” said Cronan.
“We have to be there to show them that there is a support network, and that there is people out there like us that care,” said Fladmo.
Brian and Shawn will be taking letters of support from school children to veterans who are in senior homes. They want to make sure each veteran, in every way knows there's gratitude for his or her service.
VFW Post 47: 504-982-2776, 225-270-9002
Veterans crisis hot line: 1-800-273-8255 (press 1)