It’s a heartbreaking situation so many veterans find themselves in; after risking their own lives to protect our safety they are left with so much emotional pain, they see no other way out but to end it all.
More than 6,139 veterans took their own lives in 2017 — an average of 16.8 per day, according to the Veteran Affair’s (VA) 2019 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report.
One veteran decided to highlight this dire situation by taking a stand to highlight the issue – a stand he didn’t stop for 24 hours.
Tim Chambers, a retired U.S. Marines staff sergeant, stood at a busy intersection in Washington, D.C. and didn’t eat, drink water or take a bathroom break for 24 hours.
The 45-year-old from California completed his admirable feat over Memorial Day weekend.
“At the beginning of the first hour, he held a salute for 22 minutes to symbolize the 22 American veterans who take their life every day, on average,” according to NBC7 News.
Charity helps veterans with medical bills
“The salute drops by one minute each hour, ultimately working its way down to zero.”
Chambers, runs a charity called The Saluting Marine, which helps veterans pay for medical bills.
Not many of us could complete this task which Chambers did to help his fellow veterans and soldiers.
Let’s share to show our support for him and this very important issue that needs to be addressed.
