In
My Opinion: By W.T.
“RoadBlock” Harrell
There is a serious crisis in America when the suicide rate among veterans outpaces combat deaths.In 2012, U.S. Service members committed suicide at a record pace: more than 349 took their own lives, or one every 25 hours, a Department of Defense spokesperson confirmed Monday.I would like to tell you about a young friend of mine, Staff Sergeant Derrick Plank. Derrick began writing me during a depressing period of my prison time when I was having a hard time coping with the death of my mother and son.
Derrick’s sense of humor was a bit warped, which kept me laughing, and his skewed sense of the world was also interesting. He told me that he was a veteran of Iraq, that he had been wounded. In his pictures, he had a big grin that I figured had the ladies lined up. He told me he’d been wounded, but I assumed he came home fairly unscathed.
When we finally got to meet after my release, I found out just how wrong I’d been. The scars, both physical and mental, were apparent to anyone. In fact, Derrick’s injuries had been so severe that officials told his wife not to bother coming to the States because they did not expect Derrick to survive the trip.To date, Derrick has had a total of 23 surgeries, including numerous brain surgeries. He struggles daily with the many physical and mental side effects of frequent hospitalization, and the ongoing fear of losing the use of his body. He is unable to accept treatment from doctors who resemble the race of people who slaughtered his friends. His wife and son remain in a foreign country. He has lost friends and beloved family members who loved him unconditionally. Life “back home” has not been easy for my friend.Fortunately, Derrick is one tough young man. He found support in the biker world, riding his Harley and associating with other veterans. With their help, Derrick entered college, secured a doctorate in education and an MA, and earned the nickname "Doc.”Doc told me, "Riding my motorcycle with friends who accept me, warts and all, is the closest thing I’ve found to being in the military. The friendships, the brotherhood, and the camaraderie I found in the biker community have made it possible for me to survive. Despite my problems, or maybe because of them, I chose to live and better myself.”On May 8, 2012, Dr. Derrick Plank testified before Congress regarding veteran suicide. Doc received a standing ovation. Afterward, Doc told me: "If I can make a difference for just one person it was worth the effort.”Today, Doc told me that he read the newly released statistics on veteran suicides, (see footnote below) and was very disappointed with Congress's failure to do more to help.
In her report, DOD spokesperson Cynthia O. Smith said: "We are deeply concerned about suicide in the military, which is one of the most urgent problems facing the department.” And, “Our most valuable resource within the department is our people. We are committed to taking care of our people, and that includes doing everything possible to prevent suicides in the military.”Unfortunately, these statements are not being backed up by credible action. Congress and most politicians are busy playing a political “Game of Crowns” to protect their fiefdoms. Their failure to act on behalf of our veterans means that the veterans put in harm's way by these very same politicians are needlessly dying.While in the combat zone, these young warriors saw friends butchered and blown apart, and lived 24/7 knowing they could die instantly at the hands of an unseen enemy. Record numbers survived attacks but their lives were changed forever by multiple amputations or brain injuries caused by I.E.D. blasts, the new “weapon of choice” in today’s battlefield.
Our veterans put their lives on the line for us. Now they need our help. We owe it to them to stand up for them NOW.Footnote: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/14/16510852-military-suicide-rate-hit-record-high-in-2012?lite