Never Forget. An elegant rallying cry for honoring those who were taken from us on September 11, 2001, and those who we’ve lost since.
In the active voice, “Never Forget” becomes “Always Remember.”
Always remember those who were taken from us on September 11, 2001, those who we’ve lost since, and those who are still with us after taking up the fight for American ideals.
Too many members of that final group are staring into the abyss.
We know that the suicide rate for 18-34 year old male veterans has increased 93% since 2006.
That’s our youngest generation of war fighters, tacticians, leaders. The backbone of our nation’s future.
The time for action - the time to save lives in this generation of veterans - is now.
Our goal is to reduce the military suicide rate by 40% by 2030. Post-9/11 veterans are a cornerstone of that promise.
We should never forget, but we must always remember.
We must always remember those we lost, then and now. We must always remember that there are still lives we can save now.
This Suicide Prevention Week, let’s focus on that change. Let’s take action. Let’s honor the fallen by saving the living.
In remembrance,
Chris Ford, Stop Soldier Suicide CEO
20-Year Air Force Veteran
September 11, 2020