LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — May is Mental Health Awareness Month and a group of veterans is shining a light on the problem suicide among our former service members.
It's prompted AMVETS to travel the west coast in a tour bus and today. I met up with them on their Las Vegas stop.
One veteran, Raivadus Gill, was an Operation Battle Cry founder. He served in Iraq from 2004-2006. He served in the military for a decade.
After his service, the struggles started.
"This was my brother who was in the navy that committed suicide that is me on the left and that is him, he served in the navy for a while and he took his own life," Gill told us.
His story doesn't stop there.
GILL: "About three years prior to that, I was going to commit suicide with that same, that was his weapon and I was going to use that same weapon to commit suicide with."
His life experiences and struggles with mental health prompted him to start a nonprofit, and that brought him here to U.S. Vets near downtown Las Vegas Tuesday to help others.
"Our work continues until no veteran is left behind," he said.
Veterans from the AMVET organization are traveling the west coast on a bus, hoping to bring local resources together for a day.
Commander Ross Smith gave us a look around.
Yes, so the different tents or pop ups represent people who found something that works. The goal is to make veterans aware of the help out there.
SMITH: "It is about bringing vets together to let them know it is ok to not be ok. Everyday 22 veterans take their own lives."
The bus will stop in more west coast cities to host similar events in hopes of saving lives.
SMITH: We have a number of people who we have saved....there is more than one way to treat a problem.
From U.S. Vets to the VA to local nonprofits, he says help is available.
Raivadus Gill made sure his non-profit Operation Battle Cry was here.
"If a veteran needs housing, I give them a resource to give housing," Gill tells us.
His slogan "trigger happiness" prompts people to focus on what makes you happy.
GILL: I trigger my happiness by saying I will wake up and go help a veteran.
Gill says events like this and awareness can go a long way it's what brought him here to help others. "It gave me a reason to turn my pain into purpose."
Next, the bus will head to Salt Lake City for an event there tomorrow.
RESOURCES
- AMVETs tour information
- Veterans crisis line: Dial 988 and then press 1
- AMVETs website
- VA Southern Nevada
