Veterans of the United States Military serve our country selflessly, and with great pride and honor. Unfortunately, far too many of those who survive the external battles abroad are not able to survive the internal battles at home.
As a result, 660 veterans die by suicide each month in America, creating one of our country’s most heartbreaking and preventable tragedies.
With September being National Suicide Prevention Month, the Northern Kentucky Service Members, Veterans, and Families Suicide Prevention Coalition is planting 660 flags adjacent to the veteran’s memorial in Tower Park in Fort Thomas.
The spot is near the Veterans Administration Domiciliary and Trauma Recovery Center, as well as the United States Army Reserve Center.
Members of the 478 Engineering Army Reserve at the Fort will help plant the flags, as well as members of the VFW Ladies Auxilliary and volunteers from 7 Hills Church.
Each flag serves as a reminder that behind every statistic is a life, a family, and story that should not be forgotten.
The flags will stay planted all month.
The flags are being planted on Monday, August 31, at 2 p.m.
The formal ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, September 1, from 6-7 p.m.
The public is invited to attend.
Officers from the Army Reserve Center will be on hand. Former military members will speak. Fort Thomas City Manager Matthew Kremer will present a proclamation. The National Anthem and Taps will be played by the American Legion Color Guard.
The Coalition is a partnership of organizations, veterans, families, and community members formed in April 2022 to unite diverse perspectives around a single mission: preventing Veteran suicide. It works through collaboration, education, and advocacy. Its vision is to provide hope, raise awareness, and foster supportive relationships among Northern Kentucky veterans, service members, and their families.
Death by suicide is 100-percent preventable, but it can’t be done without community support.
NKY Veteran Suicide Prevention Coalition