22 Deaths Every Day

I seem to be jumping from serious subject to serious subject of late. I will be doing another post on Boko Haram and Nigeria a bit later this week, but today is Memorial Day in the United States. Memorial Day is a US tradition stretching back to 1868 when it was Decoration Day - a day to visit the graves of fallen soldiers and honor them by placing flowers at the site. When it began, shortly after the end of the Civil War, the day focused primarily on fallen Union soldiers, but today the day serves as a collection national commemorative moment to honor all those who have given their lives in service while serving in the armed forces.

More than just a three day weekend Memorial Day is a time to reflect on the sacrifices of war and the price we pay for global military engagement. As someone who opposes war far more frequently than supporting it, today is a keen reminder of one of the reasons for that opposition as much as it is a reminder than sometimes there is no other way, though the cost is very real and very high. 

Since the Revolutionary War more than 1.3 million members of the US armed services have died in combat. Since the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 close to 7000 soldiers have died in combat. Iraq and Afghanistan have been the most costly military actions the US has taken since the Vietnam War. And although this Memorial Day marks the first Memorial Day since September 11th and the subsequent war in Afghanistan that ground troops have not been in active combat, the United States has still been in a state of war for most of my lifetime. 15 years out of my just barely 26. That's about 60% of my lifetime. 

Today I think about the 7000 people who have died fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq in the last 14 years who wanted to serve their country. I also think about the more than 1 million people who have given their lives in the last 240 years. Their service and deaths have shaped this country and the world. There will be other days to talk about my issues with war. Other days to question where the military recruits from and whether minorities and those who live with poverty are unfairly burdened with military service. These issues, while important, can be put aside for today in order to honor the people we have lost.

However, there is one linked issue I do want to address briefly as I think about the human cost of war today. That issue is veteran suicide. There is a number that has been floating around on the news and online for some time where this issue is concerned. 22. 22 veteran suicides a day. Or, in other words, over 8000 veteran deaths every year. That number 8000 you may notice is larger than the number of combined deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq over the last 14 years. There are some who actually estimate that 22 is an under-reporting of the real numbers, but very few argue the number is an overestimate. What that means is that veterans are 50, in some cases (especially in the case of female veterans) more than 60 percent more likely to commit suicide than their counterparts in the civilian population.

We have a problem in this country. More soldiers are dying at peace, than at war. They deserve honor and recognition just as much as those who die on a battlefield. They deserve to feel supported for their service, not shamed. On this Memorial Day, and in the year that follows, I hope our government and the population at large will honor our fallen, our uniformed, and our veteran men and women by making veteran suicide a priority when we talk about military spending. Because service doesn't end when a war does. It's a lifelong commitment. Soldiers are holding up their end, we are failing to hold up ours.

To celebrate Memorial Day today I'm donating $22 (to represent the 22 veteran lives lost every day) to the non profit group: Stop Soldier Suicide, an organization focused on soldiers talking to other soldiers to get them to right places for help and support. You should check out the organization's website if you're interested in getting involved, or learning more about the issue of veteran suicide in the US.

I'm going to leave you with this poem from spoken word artist Andrea Gibson who sums up my feelings on this a whole lot better than I just did.