Winter 2025 · Pages 3–4
A Word from the Founder
We published the following message about Veteran suicide on Facebook for Veterans Day. We republish it now, in its entirety, along with a response from Jeffrey “Chief” Rogers, a combat Veteran who is Associate Dean of Men at Hillsdale College. Please pass along both of these messages and consider taking action yourself to help prevent Veteran suicide.
Enough is Enough
We just lost another combat Veteran friend to suicide. He was loved. He was supported. He had children. He had a lot to live for. He also was in pain. He had to have felt anguish and hopelessness. Now he is gone. It did not have to happen, but it did. We have to do better stopping Veteran suicide. I am neither a mental health professional nor a Veteran, but I have lost family members and friends to suicide and considered suicide myself seriously enough to have planned it in detail. Here is what I see as some common threads.- Anyone can commit suicide. There is no stereotype.
- People who commit suicide often give no advance clue to those around them. They assure family and friends they are fine.
- Reasons for suicide are diverse. They might include consequences of TBI and/or PTSD. There may be other changes in brain chemistry. Hopelessness. Lack of purpose. Isolation. Failure to meet one’s own expectations. Shame. Survivor’s guilt. Veterans often check these boxes at a higher rate than non-Veterans.
1. Eliminate the stigma surrounding suicide ideation
In my view, it is common, normal, and part of the human condition, not a flaw or a sign of weakness. I disclosed my own suicide ideation to set an example. Let’s talk about suicide like we would talk about any other part of being human. Let’s dispel this part of a Veteran’s isolation or shame and get the visibility to intervene at exactly the right time.2. Employ Veterans
This can help provide purpose, connection, and self-esteem.3. Facilitate connections, one-on-one or in groups
Be creative. We can all help Veterans and their families be better connected.4. Support the Wilderness Healing Project
We recently founded a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to help Veterans and their families through outdoor wilderness experiences provided free of charge. This includes hunting, camping, equine therapy, horseback riding, side-by-side trips, hiking, mountain scenery and peacefulness, and staring into a camp fire with other Veterans. Consider donating at wildernesshealingproject.org to help us reach more Veterans. 100% of all donations go directly to funding Veteran services. The National Museum of Military Vehicles pays all administrative and overhead expenses.5. Support other programs helping reduce Veteran suicide
There are many private programs that could use more visibility and participation, such as the Veterans Talking to Veterans Program created by Mentor Agility (mentoragility.com) and supported by the Wyoming Military Department (wyomilitary.wyo.gov) as well as Catholic Charities of Wyoming (charitieswyoming. org).6. Start your own program to help Veterans
Why not?7. Thank Veterans for their service in a genuine and meaningful way
Make sure they know we “see” them and appreciate their service and their sacrifice on our behalf. Make every day Veterans Day, not just November 11. To everyone reading this: What ideas do you have on what more we can do to stop or reduce Veteran suicide? We have to work together to do better. We lose more Veterans to suicide every single day. In that post, I asked people to weigh in with ideas on what we can do to stop or reduce Veteran suicides. A friend who is a Navy Corpsman combat Veteran and Associate Dean of Men at Hillsdale College responded with great wisdom and gave me permission to re-post his letter. Below is his letter in its entirety. Please, spread the word and keep the ideas coming: Dan, I read your piece on Veteran Suicide, and it truly saddened me to hear about your friend. I too have lost friends, co-workers, and fellow Sailors and Marines to suicide. Like you, I’ve thought long and hard about what can be done to confront this epidemic. I agree completely that this conversation needs to happen more often—and not behind closed doors. It should be a kitchen table topic, something we can speak about openly and honestly. Some tangible steps I would recommend are:Intergenerational Mentorship
- Pairing Veterans with at-risk youth, college RAs, or even ROTC students gives vets a chance to lead again.
- Passing on discipline and resilience reframes their experience as valuable — not tragic.
- This restores purpose and the “protector” role in a new context.
Spiritual and Moral Reconciliation
- Many Veterans carry unseen spiritual wounds — guilt, betrayal, or loss of faith.
- Chaplain-led retreats or Veteran-specific confession spaces can provide real healing.
- These programs focus not on diagnosis, but on forgiveness, meaning, and belonging — often the missing pieces in suicide prevention.
Veteran-Led Economic Cooperatives
- Giving Veterans ownership in small businesses or co-ops creates long-term stability and pride.
- Example: A Veteran-owned carpentry shop or auto garage where profits and leadership rotate among members.
- It meets three needs at once: employment, community, and dignity.
Training Civilians to Listen Differently
- Teaching civilians to “listen without fixing” or to invite Veterans into meaningful roles can be life-saving.
- Churches, campuses, and employers can host “Veteran Story Nights” or “Mission Debriefs” that allow honest conversations to happen naturally.
Restoring Tribe
- The loss of tribe after service is one of the most dangerous shifts.
- Rebuilding that tribe — through mission trips, leadership development, or service projects with civilians — can recreate the sense of belonging that prevents despair.