On September 22, the Department of Military and Veteran Affairs at Tennessee Tech will host a display in the Centennial Plaza to raise awareness to the prevalence of suicide among veterans.
The date of September 22 for the observance is significant. The month of September is recognized as National Suicide Prevention Month and the number 22 is the average number of veterans lost to suicide in the U.S. each day, based on a statistic from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
This event will give visitors an opportunity to mourn the loss of a loved one to suicide, gather resources on how to identify the warning signs, as well as get information on how to reach out if you think someone might be contemplating suicide. A board will be set up for visitors to post a name, photo, or simply compose a message in memory of those who have been lost to suicide.
It is our hope that you will take a moment to visit our display, honor those we have lost, and bring veteran suicide awareness to our campus community. The more attention we bring to this topic, the more we can connect veterans and their loved ones to the resources they need.