‘A fight in our mind’: Veterans march in Raleigh for suicide awareness

About a dozen veterans gathered outside the North Carolina State Capitol on Monday, marching through downtown Raleigh to raise awareness of veteran suicides.

The march came as part of a national campaign to bring attention to issues facing veterans across the U.S.

“Everybody knows a veteran,” said John Ring, 43, who founded Walk For Vets in 2019. “You’ve got a friend, you’ve got a coworker, you’ve got somebody in your family — somebody who has served our country. They might be dealing with silent wounds that they got from combat or just from serving in general.”

Ring, who served in the U.S. Army from 2013-21, wants lawmakers at the state and federal levels to help create stronger support systems and resources for veterans. The march helps those struggling know they aren’t alone and unites veteran communities in states across the nation, he said.

“There’s nowhere that’s different,” he said. “Arizona veterans are dealing with the same issues (as those in North Carolina).”

Veterans leave military service experiencing intense trauma and PTSD, often receiving inadequate support or guidance navigating benefits and other resources, Ring said.

Those who gathered Monday included local veterans as well as others who had traveled across the states with Ring.

“If we get to a location and it’s just the five of us walking, then that’s what it’s going to be,” Ring said. “We’ve walked in rain, sleet, snow. We’ve been in all of it. … It’s not going to slow us down.”

‘A fight in our mind.’

When Bo Durham, a 59-year-old veteran from Clayton, heard veterans would be marching in Raleigh, he knew he had to show his support.

“Even though it’s Valentine’s Day,” he said. “But my wife understood. She said ‘Honey, go do what you do.’”

Durham, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps for over 30 years, said a friend who served with him in Afghanistan died by suicide in 2020.

“There is a fight in our mind when we come home,” he said. “And the fight doesn’t end on the battlefield.”

Every veteran experiences some kind of struggle in returning home, Durham said.

“When we leave that camaraderie, that active duty, we find ourselves all alone wherever we go in small town America,” he said, adding it should be easier for veterans to receive disability and other benefits.

“It shouldn’t be another struggle, another fight,” he said.

March in Raleigh part of 22-state journey

The 2.2 mile trek through downtown Raleigh was the 13th stop in a 22-state journey, spanning 22 days from Feb. 2-Feb. 23. The number represents a widely cited number of veterans who kill themselves each day.

According to a 2021 report from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, roughly 17 veterans died by suicide each day in 2019, the most recently available data. The overall veteran suicide count decreased between 2018 and 2019, but the suicide rate for veterans was 52% higher than for non-veterans.

Michael Williams, 31, said there is “a difference between a statistic and seeing it firsthand.”

He urged people in the community, including those who have not served in the military, to become involved with organizations that support veterans.

Daniel Osborn, 44, said marching with other veterans has helped him in processing his own trauma.

Osborn, who traveled from East Texas to take part in the marches, pointed to the feeling of community that accompanied the journey.

“The constant beating in my head that I am not alone,” he said. “Despair is the enemy. (It helps knowing) there’s others out there who are suffering just like you.”

In North Carolina, the veteran suicide rate in 2019 was significantly lower than the national veteran suicide rate, but it remained significantly higher than the general population, according to the VA.

Donald Mial, a 69-year-old veteran from Raleigh, said North Carolina supports veterans, “but of course, there’s always more that we can do.”

He said it is “crucial” to bring attention to the high number of veterans who kill themselves.

“One thing we’ve always done is made sure that we don’t leave a man on the battlefield,” Mial said. “So that’s what this is about: Continuing support of other soldiers.”

Veterans who are in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, and those who know a veteran in crisis, should contact the Veterans Crisis Line for confidential crisis intervention and support available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, text to 838255, or chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat.