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Monday, October 03, 2022
Suicide Prevention Is Top Priority, State Commander Tells Local Posts
A packed banquet hall at Oriskany Post 1448 greeted Department leaders during their visit to Oneida County.
ORISKANY – During his visits to counties around New York State, Department Commander David R. Riley Sr. is identifying veteran suicide prevention as the number one priority for The American Legion.
The latest statistics show 17 veterans taking their own lives every day, he told the packed banquet hall at Oriskany Post 1448 during his official visit to Oneida County on Sunday, Oct. 2. That veteran suicide rate “is 50 percent higher” than the rate for non-veterans, he said.He cited “Be the One,” an American Legion nation-wide suicide-prevention campaign, which is aimed at getting veterans and the Legion Family to contact other veterans and ask how they are doing, and to reach out to those exhibiting signs of at-risk behavior. It also encourages struggling veterans to reach out for help.
