YORBA LINDA, Calif.—Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner joined a local nonprofit on June 14 for Flag Day at the Nixon Library and Museum to commemorate and advocate for U.S. veterans and first responders suffering from suicidal ideation and other mental health struggles.
“The scourge of veteran suicide is very real,” Wagner said during the event. “But we have the opportunity, every single one of us, to make a difference. If you see a veteran, see someone struggling, it’s real easy to ask a question. It’s real easy to offer a helping hand. It’s real easy to perhaps be the person who saves the life of someone who risked their life for you.”
Spearheading the event was Angel Force USA, a Newport Beach-based nonprofit aimed at raising awareness of military suicides.
The event, titled “Stop Suisilence,” stems from the nonprofit’s goal of encouraging vets and other law enforcement suffering from mental health issues to open up about their experiences in an attempt to prevent further suicides among at-risk members, many of whom are said to be more likely to commit such acts by staying silent.
“Since 9/11, more than 30,000 veterans have died by suicide, compared to 7,000 in combat,” Angel Force USA Founder and President Anne Dunsmore said during the event. “That’s a big ratio … Even one is not ok.”
The event, which included a luncheon and concert at the library’s replica of the White House East Ballroom, drew dozens of veterans, first responders, and their spouses and families. An empty chair was left for those who never made it home from war or who had taken their own lives.
Yorba Linda Mayor Pro Tem Tara Campbell, city Councilwoman Tara Lim, and former local U.S. Rep. Mimi Walters were also in attendance.
“It is an honor and a privilege to be here in support of our troops,” Walters said to the crowd during the luncheon.
Former Marine Corpsman and Air Force officer Louis Martin was among the four Vietnam vets who received recognition at the event for his service, alongside Albert Ruiz, Joe Castillo, and Steven Kemp.
According to Martin, such recognition was long overdue.
“Many of us [Vietnam troops] were never recognized for our service when we came home,” he told The Epoch Times. “Back then the war was so unpopular, especially with all the protests. [Vietnam veterans] were really treated like dirt.”
Martin, of La Habra, agreed with doing more to help veterans struggling after deployment. He recalled memories of his own hardship post-war.
“When we came home [after the war] at Los Angeles International Airport, [anti-war] protests were so bad that we were ordered to take off our uniforms before our plane landed,” Martin said. “But [the protestors] still knew we were military from our haircuts. I had a college girl throw red paint on me and call me a Nazi pig. I said ‘how dare you?’ It was horrible.”
Such treatment, Martin said, was common and exacerbated suicide among many Vietnam vets during and after the war.
“If we knew then what we know … we could have saved so many lives. We need to do more for veterans who are suffering,” he said.
