In a report released this past September by the Department of Veteran Affairs, statistics show an alarming trend of rising numbers of suicides among military veterans and a 22 percent higher rate of suicide for veterans compared to the civilian community. In sum, an average of 22 veterans kill themselves every day, which is more than 8,000 veterans each year from all eras of war including WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq. Unfortunately, other research is pointing to the fact that vets returning home from Afghanistan and Iraq, who served from 2006 to 2016, have been more likely to commit suicide than personnel leaving the service prior to 2005.
The reasons for suicide among veterans are many and varied, ranging from depression or survivor’s guilt to post-traumatic stress disorder or an addiction to drugs or alcohol. According to the VA study that was released this year, it highlights the fact that 14 of the 22 veteran suicides each day were service people who went undiagnosed or untreated.
"More needs to be done," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn, who commented recently on Military.com regarding what the Congress is calling a national epidemic. "And more steps need to be taken to address suicide trends among veterans. ...What I am hearing again and again and again is the rates are increasing among vets who lack access."
Unfortunately for Donna Chapman, government angst, VA research, and Congressional pontification no longer resonate with her given the recent tragedy of losing a son that now fuels an outrage and crushing grief that neither words nor rhetoric will ease. Her son, Sgt. William Davidson, just 24 years old and fresh off a year’s tour in Kandahar, Afghanistan, serving in Operation Enduring Freedom with the Army National Guard, took his own life in January of this year shortly after returning home from war.
Chapman, who is currently Assa Abloy’s director of security consultant relations and has been in the security industry since 1999, is refusing to let her son become just another VA statistic. She is currently working to help troubled vets through her newly established foundation – Will Power for Veterans – and is hoping to get not only her fellow security professionals on board with this effort but the entire New England and New York communities as well.
“Obviously, I’m very sad about my son’s death. But I didn’t want his death to be in vein and have him become just another of the statistics of the 22 who die every day, which is why I dug my heels in and did my research. I met with my Congressman and told him I wanted to establish a charity that would honor my son and have his memory live on, but also highlight the struggle thousands of other returning vets are having with their own experiences and PTSD,” says Chapman. “My son did reach out from his pain; he did want to get help and feel better. The National Guard and the VA both knew what he was going through. I contacted them and told them that you may have a plan to help these folks but it isn’t working. My son followed your program by policy and procedure to the letter and he’s gone. That should not happen. Both the Guard and VA knew he was traumatized but help was just not there.”
Chapman’s son served in the “hot zone” of Kandahar Province, which experienced close to 500 military casualties during his one-year tour of duty. He was a member of a mechanized transport unit who had the responsibility of collecting soldier’s remains and body parts after bomb attacks and IED incidents.
“It was his job to pick up the pieces and parts so the Army could send them home. That was an extremely traumatic experience for not just him but I’m sure others in his unit. The National Guard absolutely knew he was in trouble,” laments Chapman.
The coming out event for Will Power for Veterans was appropriately enough, this past November 11 on Veterans’ Day at Suffield High School in Suffield, Conn., where hundreds of veterans and supporters gathered to hear from past and present military service man and women. The Will Power for Veterans fund, Inc. is a non-profit organization that is recognized as a public charity under section 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code of 1986 as amended, and Chapman says 100 percent of all donations will go to the fund and help veterans and their families through awareness, resources, and financial contributions to wounded and troubled vets.
“We did this event to heighten awareness with the American people, they need to know what is going on and how our vets are struggling with the traumas they faced there and the neglect they face once they return. It is easy to turn a blind eye to the sacrifice and the commitment our military has made to serve, and I had a blind eye when my son was serving in Afghanistan as to the level of impact events were having on him and others,” says Chapman. “People say they want to know what’s going on there and what it’s like, but when you get down to it, they really don’t want to know. Nobody is talking about this crisis and the awareness of vet suicide is almost non-existent.”
She is also looking to compile a series of videos that will tout the employability of returning vets to HR offices around the country, helping HR managers realize the strengths vets possess as a result of their service and service experiences. “These are people you want on your teams and in your businesses because they possess the skills and the character traits you want.”
Another project that is in the works related to Chapman’s foundation is the Willpower retreat center for veterans and first responders. It is designed to inspire tranquility, relaxation, and healing for physically and emotionally wounded personnel. Chapman is looking for community support for labor and supplies to help construct the facility within the next year. Several companies in the A&E and security industry have already donated time, services and money including Borghesi Building and Engineering Co Inc., Assa Abloy and RS2 Technologies. She decided to combine Will Power into one word for the retreat to represent the concept of making the person whole again.
“We have a lot of veterans in our {security} industry and retired law enforcement who can understand the fallout of this situation. We need to rally support for them because I can’t fight this fight alone. I hope people in the security industry will back me and say, ‘Donna, I know we can do better as a nation to ensure a future for our returning veterans who have given so much and left so much behind,’” she says. “My mission is to make as much noise as possible. I’m not okay with 22 veterans killing themselves every day as result of being traumatized. I’m mad. This is unacceptable.”
If you and your organization would like to donate to the Will Power for Veterans fund or donate to efforts to construct the Willpower Retreat Center, please go to the website at http://www.willingnesstochange22.com for more information or contact Donna Chapman at [email protected].
