Back to the tree they walked on a chilly Friday morning, over and over. Attaching dog tags to low-hanging branches like wind chimes.
The dog tags joined dozens of others already hanging, representing men and women who served this country. “For me, the tree signifies honor, respect,” said Michael Day, an Akron native who served during Operation Iraqi Freedom. “Not forgetting.”
Day wishes he didn’t have to remember. For each day, an average of 22 veterans die by suicide. It’s the second-leading cause of death for veterans under 45, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Combat trauma. Reintegration into civilian life. Alcohol and substance abuse. Access to mental healthcare. High-risk hobbies. All are factors that lead to what some consider America’s silent epidemic.
More than 22 million veterans live across the United States.
Summit County is home to about 40,000.
To promote awareness, 22 dog tags were scheduled to be placed on a Witness Tree in the Summit County Court of Common Pleas courtyard daily through Monday, Nov. 11.
On this Friday, eight veterans hung dog tags in memory of children, parents, relatives and friends. Day, a 2000 graduate of North High School, had hung dog tags for eight days. He honored two gentlemen who took their lives after transitioning to civilian life. (Also, a doctor who died on active duty, as well as his father and grandfather, who both served.)
Johnnie Downs honored his son, Jason, who took his own life in 2006.
“It’s a grieving process that I really haven’t gotten over yet,” said Downs, 78, a Garfield High School graduate who served 32 years in the U.S. Army, including during the Vietnam War with his younger brother, Herman.
“I still grieve every day.”
Event organizers not only want people to remember the losses but to be reminded of the need for preventative services in Akron, which include Valor Court, a specialized docket in the criminal justice system dedicated to defendants with military service. Participation is voluntary.
Editor’s note: If you or a loved one are struggling, please call 988 (the new suicide and crisis lifeline) for help and support.
