Veterans Magazine November 2022

Commander Joseph Abrutz, USN

Cameron native Joe Francis Abrutz lll recently visited his parents, Joe and Debbie Abrutz. Joe is a Commander aboard the USS KANSAS CITY, based in San Diego.

Joe said he developed an interest in naval history at a young age and always wanted to be a member of the United States Navy. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2006 with a degree in Economics. He also earned a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in International Business from Loyola University in Maryland.

Prior to the USS KANSAS CITY, Joe served aboard several other ships. He was the Communication Officer and EKMS Manger on the USS COMSTOCK, Damage Control Assistance and INSURV (inspection and survey) Coordinator on the USS JARRETT.

Afterwards he was Chief Engineer and Future Operations Officer and Future Operations Officer aboard the USS ROSS. Altogether, Joe has completed deployments to both the Western and Eastern Pacific,

Indian Ocean, Arabian Gulf and the Mediterranean.

On shore duty, Joe has served in the Persian Gulf as an action officer in Bahrain with the United States Naval Center Command Here he coordinated with the United States Army on anti-terrorism training.

He then spent time at ATG MAYPORT (Afloat training group near Baltimore) as the Deputy Director for Engineering and Director for Combat Systems. In addition, Joe spent time at the U.S. Naval Academy as an instructor in Seamanship and Navigation.

Joe now serves as Commander aboard one of the Navy’s newest ships, the USS KANSAS CITY. The ship was built in Mobile (AL) and was commissioned on June 20, 2020. It is an Independence Class Littoral (near shore) Combat ship at a length of 418 feet.

The littoral ships are designed for speed and stealth operations. Their unique design makes them very difficult for enemy radar to detect. They are also used for intelligence gathering, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.

They are also designed for anti-submarine combat and eventually the KANSAS CITY boast mine-sweeping capability. Weapons aboard the ship include a M110, 57 mm Deck Gun, ,50 caliber machine gun mounts, M240 Machine Gun Mounts and will soon be adding Naval Strike Missile Systems.

Mike Hanrahan

In addition, the ship has a landing pad and carries two heavily-armed helicopters which can also be used for

Joe is the Executive Officer aboard the USS KANSAS CITY and expects to be with the ship at least 6 additional months. Afterwards he will attend the Naval War College in Rhode Island, then await assignment to his next ship.

Asked about our naval capability in a major war, Joe responded that he has “great confidence” in today’s Navy. He went on to say the Navy has “made great strides

tactical development and innovation which would perform well in major combat.”

Joe reports that morale is high aboard the ship including both sailors and Marine elements stationed aboard the ship. Asked about the ship’s performance at sea, Joe said that the ship “travels best” at full speed, 40 knots. It be a rougher ride at slow speed.

Joe is married to wife Lauren and they have three children, Joe IV who is 5, Marine (4) and Mary (2). They reside offbase in San Diego. Joe is a devoted family man. Following military service, Joe hopes

to “settle down” in one place and provide stability for the family.

He wants to someday “be his own boss” and expresses interest in working with young people, perhaps in sports. Joe is a bright and confident young man who is a credit to his country and his family.

Don Ayer

Mike Hanrahan

Local resident Don Ayer joined the Marine Corps in November of 2007. He took Basic Training at Camp Pendleton in southern California, and his Military Occupational Specialty at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland.

He finished training as a MOS 2147 Light Armored Vehicle mechanic. These were amphibious, tracked vehicles designed primarily for river crossings. In addition to repair work, they learned to operate the vehicles, including the .25 mm Turret gun. He says the vehicle could “go anywhere”.

Don was deployed from Camp Pendleton to the hazardous Helmand Province in Afghanistan. Their 18-ton vehicles were transported by

C-17 aircraft, each of which could hold 3 vehices. The vehicles arrived “ready to go” with a full load of fuel. They arrived at Camp Leatherneck on a bluff overlooking a beautiful,

turquoise-colored river. Nearby was the British Camp Sebastian.

Don, and three others from his unit were sent temporarily to the 2nd Light Armored Recon unit at Camp Dwyer, also in Helmand Province. They participated in the initial set-up of this camp, and spent their time repairing Humvees, which came in with damages ranging from bullet holes to total destruction. The camp essentially became a large Humvee Junkyard. They spent their returning vehicles to service, including salvaging parts from nearly destroyed vehicles.

The camp was a combat outpost on a bluff overlooking the Helmand River with a couple of small villages within a mile, but on the other side of the river. Seabees came in and built a berm around the camp for some level of protection. They also deployed Hesco barriers which they slept behind.

They slept outdoors and were issued a cover against mosquitoes which were rampant. They were given anti-malaria pills, but these pills brought on horrible, vivid dreams and the men stop using them after 2-3 days.

Don was on all-night guard duty when they came under Mortar and RPG attack with rounds landing inside their roughly 100 yard by 100 yard encampment. He comments that you quickly begin to recognize the whistle of the incoming fire.

Don managed to sight the source of the fire which was coming from the middle of a sheep herd (a common enemy tactic). Peeking out from cover, he saw his buddy Skylar running across the compound. A quick-response team managed to scatter the sheep and remove the threat.

Supplies to the camp came by airlift and were parachuted to the ground some distance away from the camp. Humvees were required

to go out, load the supplies and return them to camp. This was dangerous because the enemy would implant IED's in the area.

Don went on several of these supply excursions and witnessed a Humvee striking an IED. A Lance Corporal driving the truck was killed in the explosion while the Gunnery Sergeant lost both legs. It was a sobering sight.

Don's best memories are the relationships with his fellow soldiers. The men from his unit still meet each year in different locations around the States. His worst memory was the sight of the dead and severely wounded men in the IED incident.

Don and his wife live on an 18 acre tract in rural Cameron. He works as a mechanic in Kansas City.

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Patrick Seabolt

Cameron native Patrick Seabolt, son of Ed and Donna Seabolt, was home-schooled, and worked with his dad in the carpentry business prior to joining the military.

Patrick enlisted in the United States Army at age 29. He and his wife, Erin, are the parents of 3 children, Teri, Peter, and Rose.

He took Basic Training at Fort Jackson, SC. He graduated from Basic on his 30th birthday.

He was then assigned to Ordnance Training / Mechanics at Fort Lee, Virginia, becoming a 91 Bravo Motor Vehicle Mechanic. From there he was sent to Fort Campbell, KY, becoming one of the 10% receiving Operation Air Assault Wings in the first year, and making Sergeant in 2 ½ years.

He reports an incident with

a NCO who told him “so you are one of those mechanics who thinks he knows everything”. Patrick replied that he “knew very little but will willing to learn”. The NCO then announced, “I’ll take him”. They ended up as good friends. Now a full-fledged mechanic, he was put in charge of 2nd Platoon, all-wheel vehicles recovery. Whenever a vehicle broke down, or was involved in

Mike Hanrahan

an accident, Patrick was responsible for recovery and repair of the vehicle.

He was also the Unit Precaution Leader, responsible of teaching the men about alcohol and illegal drug abuse, with responsibility for periodic drug tests. A respected NCO tried to pass another person’s urine sample as his own. Patrick observed the NCO’s demeanor and became suspicious. He ordered a new, and observed, collection of a new urine sample which came back as “positive”. The NCO was placed in a therapy program.

Patrick says there is a lot of stress on military personnel in a variety of ways. He pointed out that while 82% of civilian suicides are due to alcohol and drug abuse, in the military that reason accounts for less than 30%. Stress is the main reason among military personnel. Patrick cites his strong Christian faith as an important element in dealing with the stress.

At the end of his first stint in the military he decided to “re-up” and continue his career. At this point he was presented a number of options including Hawaii and other locations which also included Germany. His wife preferred Germany as she always wanted to see Europe. However,

Germany required a 1 year wait. While his platoon was deployed elsewhere. Patrick could only make sure his platoon was well prepared and equipped while he stayed behind.

In Germany his new platoon had to work under pole tents. They were plagued with bad equipment and supplies. Their motto became, “We do the most, having the least”. He reported that weather in Germany was often unpleasant.

His platoon’s primary responsibility was retrieving broken and inoperable vehicles and returning them to base for repairs. Patrick spent much time driving a recovery truck, often as much as 12 hours at a time. Most roads were poor quality except for the Autobahn which had also had no speed limit. Hauling a vehicle of the Autobahn was hazardous, with vehicles zipping by them at very high speeds. However, being young, he found the Autobahn “fun”.

His first trip back to the states was at the time of a family death. He was able to spend a little time with family, including a brother who passed away a short time afterwards. Patrick had to deal with depression on his return to duty.

Shortly after this COVID struck the

world, and the military, like everyone else, had to do deal with many restrictions.

But soon he incurred a severe injury to his back, which pressed against the sciatic nerve, causing a great deal of pain. He then went “On Profile” to determine what he could and could not do. As a result, he was assigned “desk work” and was introduced to computers. He also spent some time training mechanics on the workings of the recovery assignments.

Eventually he was offered a medical discharge which he initially refused, but soon realizing that the discharge was inevitable, he began planning for a return to civilian life. Fortunately, he had a military friend who operated a military computer network for people platoons on missions. Each platoon of about 30 men has 3 laptop computers which often encounter difficulties. His friend’s job is to keep those computers operating.

Patrick has two tattoos on his lower arms. On his right arm is a cross and banner colored with the colors of the flag, symbolizing his Christian faith and intense patriotism. On the other arm is a “broken sword” symbolizing his feelings over his medical discharge.

Tyler Krentz

Cameron resident Tyler Krentz joined the Marines Corps in 2004. He took basic, and combat training at Camp Pendleton, California.

He took his Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He was initially trained on the 198 Howitzer, and was soon promoted to Section Chief, in charge of his own artillery unit.

During Tyler’s tour of duty the 198 Howitzer was replaced with the M777 mm Howitzer which he described as the “lazy man’s Howitzer” due to its advanced technology. His class was the first to be trained on both weapons. His battery was the last to fire the 198.

Tyler’s unit undertook a training mission with the new weapon both at Camp Pendleton and at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center & Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command at Twenty-nine Palms, California. This is the largest training facility of the Marine Corps.

Tyler’s first deployment was aboard the USS Peleliu, a huge carrier ship on a 7-month tour in the Western Pacific. This tour allowed Tyler the opportunity to visit many ports of call including

Hawaii, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Dubai and Kuwait.

They were scheduled to return to the states, but were unexpectedly recalled to Kuwait where they were assigned as a Quick Reaction Force. They were transported by a large truck which carried their 12-man crew as well as pulling their Howitzer.

Tyler’s 2nd deployment was to Iraq. They flew from California to Bangor (ME) to Germany, Kuwait before going by helicopter to the heat of Iraq where he saw temperatures as high as 130 degrees.

His unit was assigned to a patrol base in an urban setting where they conducted houseto-house checks for the enemy, weapons, information. This was dangerous work as it was unknown what might be encountered.

Tyler was among the personnel taking an eight-week urban combat leadership course preparing for this assignment. One highlight of his tour of duty was a visit by Chuck Norris to their field base.

Later his unit was sent to a small artillery base where they were involved in combat action, primarily providing cover for maneuvers by keeping the enemy out of ground force objectives. These were rapid-fire missions. Once they received the ground coordinates, they could drop 7 rounds on the exact coordinates in as little as 22 seconds. This had a terrifying affect on the enemy.

Tyler’s best memory is the camaraderie with the men in his unit. They developed very close friendships and were “always there” for one another. His worst memory is watching fellow Marines die.

Tyler left the military in 2008 as an E-5, and says he would be willing to “do it all again”.

He currently owns a local business installing floor tile.

Mike Hanrahan

Hanrahan

Carl Henry Dodd was born in Kentucky. He was the oldest of 12 children of Edward and Ruby Dodd. When Carl was 3 years old, the family moved to the small town of Kenvir, KY.

As a youngster Carl was active in the Boy Scouts and in the local Baptist Church. After he registered for the draft, Carl dropped out of school and went to work for the Black Mountain Coal Company. Carl enlisted in the Army in 1943, but there is no record of his involvement in WW2. He was discharged from the Army in 1946 with the rank of Sergeant. Six months later he reenlisted, maintaining his rank. In the Fall of 1947 he married Libbie Rose Anderson. They had 3 children, Carl, Jr., David, and Lorana.

During the next few years Carl served at Fort Knox, Korea (prior to the war), and in Hawaii. In the Summer of 1950 he was sent to Korea where he earned a Bronze Star, a Silver Star, and the Congressional Medal of Honor. During this time he was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant.

On August 7, 1950, Carl’s platoon was overrun by enemy troops near Chindong-Ni. The platoon leader was apparently killed, and Carl assumed leadership. At this point only 12 men were left standing and they were being attacked on all sides. Carl ordered the men to retreat as he provided cover fire. He then rescued two wounded men and managed to move them to safety despite being under constant fire. This is where he earned the Silver Star.

On January 30, 1951 Carl was serving with Company E, 2nd

Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division near Subuk, Korea. The U.S. troops were attempting to take the strategic Hill 256. There had been 3 unsuccessful attempts at taking the hill when the mission fell onto Carl and his platoon. They were part of Operation Thunderbolt.

The enemy outnumbered the Americans by an estimated 3-1 margin, and was heavily entrenched on the mountainside. Any assault on the mountain was met with small arms fire, mortars, and artillery fire.

Carl always went ahead of his men, but moved among them giving encouragement and organizing their assault. Carl moved

Mike

forward and destroyed a machine gun placement and killing the crew.

Inspired by Carl’s actions, his men attached bayonets and redoubled their efforts. After knocking out the lower level defenses, Carl led his men across a narrow ridge leading to the top of Hill 256. They were met with heavy resistance. Some 200 yards from their objective Carl moved forward alone and knocked out a mortar position which was inflicting heavy casualties on the advancing Americans.

At nightfall Carl ordered his men to “shelter in place” during the night. The next morning the hill was covered in heavy fog which provided a degree of cover. Again Carl led the renewed assault using grenades and bayonets on their rifles. They accomplished their goal of taking the hill. Army Colonel Lucian Rawls, Jr., credited Carl personally for the victory, noting that he alone killed “dozens of the enemy”. This was the action earning Carl the Medal of Honor.

Carl retired from the military in 1965 as a Major following 21 years of service. After retirement he worked a number of years for the Department of Agriculture. He also volunteered considerable time at the Shiner Hospital in Lexington, KY.

Carl passed away on October 13th, 1996 at age 71. He was buried at Cumberland Memorial Cemetery in Corbin, KY.

Rachel Tozier

Born in Liberty (MO) and raised in Pattonsburg (MO) Rachel Tozier is among the top women trap-shooters in the nation. She is a member of TEAM USA (Olympics) and has competed in several international competitions. She was an

alternate at the 2020 Olympics.

Rachel is the daughter of Dana Hoover and Craig Hopkins. Both have since remarried. She graduated from Pattonsburg High School and the University of Central Missouri. Her stepfather, Monte Hoover, built an ATA (American Trapshooting Association) field for her

Mike Hanrahan

Photo courtesy of Rachel Tozier 2022 USAS National Championships in Hillsdale, MI. Julia Stallings (Tennessee) won silver, I, Rachel Tozier, won gold, and Aeriel Skinner (California) took bronze.

shooting. She jokes “He may have regretted it due to the amount of money it cost him”!

As a 12-year old growing up in Pattonsburg, she was afraid to shoot a shotgun due to fear of the recoil. She began by shooting a BB gun, but by the end of the day had fired every gauge shotgun and after hitting her first target, she was hooked on the sport of trap-shooting.

In the following years she competed and was successful in many trap-shooting at many local and area events. During her senior year in college she was recruited by Randall Crawford, President of the Kansas City Trapshooter Association, who offered her a job as Manager of the Kansas City Club, a position she held for three years.

She says that members of the Association were skeptical of both her age and her gender, but she quickly earned their respect. She comments that she “learned a lot and met a lot of great people”.

She had not planned on a military career, but was recruited via Facebook by the Team Chief for the United States Army Marksmanship Unit. She is now a member of this unit, Shotgun Unit. When she joined the Military it “was a hard decision, but the best decision I ever made”.

Rachel took Basic Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina and is stationed as a Marksmanship Instructor at Fort Benning in Georgia. In addition to her duties as an Instructor, Rachel is able to compete in many events representing the United States.

Rachel says that International TrapShooting (Olympic) (or Bunker Shooting) is different than American Trap-shooting. In America shooting the target travels at 4243 MPH, while in International shooting it travels at 68 MPH. In addition, American shooting has a target angle of 27.5 degrees, International shooting is at an angle of 45 degrees, left or right, with the targets are varying heights.

Since the Fall of 2017, Rachel has participated in 6 ISSF (International Shooting Sport Federation), the Pan American Games and a World Championship. Rachel has been in too many competitions to list, but below are a few of the most notable:

2019 USAS (United States Trapshooting), Spring Selection, BRONZE MEDAL, selection to World Cup Team

2019 ISSF (International Shooting Sport Association) Women’s Team, GOLD MEDAL

2019 Pan American Games, Women’s,

Women’s SILVER MEDAL (individual)

2019 Pan American Games, Women’s Team SILVER MEDAL

2019 USAS Fall Selection, Women’s BRONZE MEDAL (gap due to COVID pandemic

2021 ISSF World Cup in Italy, Women’s Team BRONZE MEDAL

2021 USAS Fall, Women’s BRONZE MEDAL

2022 USAS Fall BRONZE MEDAL

2022 USAS Winter BRONZE MEDAL

2022 ISSF in Cyprus, Women’s BRONZE MEDAL

2022 ISSF WORLD CUP, Women’s Team, SILVER MEDAL

2022 ISSF WORLD CUP, in Peru, Women’s Team GOLD MEDAL

2022 ISSF WORLD CUP, in Azerbaijen, Women’s Team GOLD MEDAL

Rachel will make a career of the United States Army and will continue to compete in Olympic level Trap Shooting.

Rachel, her husband Tom, and daughter Vivi Rose live off base in Georgia. She and her family plan to visit family in Pattonsburg this Christmas.

Michael Monsoor was born on April 5, 1981 in Long Beach, CA. He had asthma as a child, but improved his lungs by swimming in the family pool. He graduated from Garden Grove High School where he was a tight end on the school football team.

Monsoor joined the Navy in 2001. He attended Master of Arms “A” School. Later he graduated from Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training BUD/S Class 250.

He attended parachute training at Basic Airborne School, cold weather training in Kodiak (Alaska), and has a ranking as Master of Arms.

He went to Iraq in 2003 as a machine gunner/communications specialist, training members of the Iraqi Army in Ramadi.

Monsoor and his men were in frequent firefights with enemy insurgents. On May 9, 2006 in one of the firefights, another

SEAL was wounded. Monsoor left a secure location, under heavy fire, to rescue his comrade. He provided cover fire for himself and the wounded man, and dragged him

to safety. He received a Silver Star for this action.

On another occasion they came under a surprise attack by an enemy force. Monsoor took charge, placed his men in strategic locations, out-maneuvering the enemy. His quick actions were credited for saving the lives of the men under his leadership. He received a Bronze Star for this action.

Monsoor and his men continued to have frequent contact with the enemy. On September 9, 2006, on street patrol, they again came under attack. Monsoor and three other men took a rooftop position where he could effectively use his machine gun. During the fighting, a nearby mosque was calling for the people to “attack the Americans”.

One of the enemy fighters tossed a grenade onto the rooftop, striking Monsoor in the chest and dropping to the rooftop. Monsoor might have escaped, but instead yelled “grenade” and dropped upon it to save

Mike Hanrahan

his comrades. His body took the full blast of the grenade. Unbelievably he survived the initial blast, but died some 30 minutes later. He was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Monsoor's funeral was attended by a number of Navy Seals. As they passed his casket, each removed the Gold Trident from their uniforms and deeply embedded it in the wooden casket. He is buried at Rosecrans

National Cemetery in San Diego, CA.

Monsoor is the first Navy SEAL awarded the Medal of Honor. He received the following commemorations:

• A Zumwalt class Destroyer has been named the USS Michael Monsoor

• A mountain warfare training camp some 50 miles east of San Diego is named in his honor

• A United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps is named in his honor

• The football stadium at Garden Grove High School is named in his honor

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Carol Anthony, now of Jamesport was born in St. Joseph where she spent her early years. Her family also lived in both Stewartsville and Maysville. She graduated from Maysville High School.

She joined the United States Navy in February of 1998, and took basic training in Chicago, after which she was sent to Norfolk (VA). During her service years she had two sea duty tours aboard the USS Kearsarge LHD-3.

The Kearsarge is a WASP Class Amphibious Assault ship, named after Mount Kearsarge in New Hampshire. Interestingly, it is the 5th ship to bear the Kearsarge name. The first was a sloop used during the Civil War and was used to hunt down and engage Confederate raiders.

The Kearsarge is a multipurpose ship designed to carry and deploy beach-assault landing craft, a contingent of Marines, and support for troops. It carries AV-8B Harrier’s for close ground support, along

with up to 26 Navy/USMC helicopters for transport of troops, and conducts search-and-rescue operations. They were tasked with being the “eyes and ears” of security protection.

For its own protection, the ship carries NATO Rim-7 Sea Sparrow missiles, anti-aircraft guns, 25mm machine guns, and the Phalanx close-in Weapon System.

Carol made her first sea-duty mission in July of 1999 to the Mediterranean where they made numerous port-of-calls and provided humanitarian assistance when needed.

Her second tour was to provide humanitarian aid following a major earthquake in Turkey. They spent 42 days providing medical assistance. They were also involved in the war in Kosovo, providing support to a landing force of Marines, including caring for the wounded. She gained a combat medal for this operation.

All of Carol’s sea duty was in the first years of her career. Much

ain’t crying.

Photo taken by US Department of the Navy United States of America

of her time was spent aboard the ship while based at the major operating base for the Amphibious Forces of the US Atlantic fleet. Ship duties were keeping it ready for immediate deployment if necessary. This meant constantly assuring that all facets of the ship were kept operational including the “wet wells” where landing craft

Ship protection was paramount, especially after 9-11. Carol, and other crew members filled 4-hour shifts on watch duty.

Carol says she has no regrets other than when she was discharged. She especially enjoyed her time at sea, especially the beautiful sunrises and sunsets. She would “do it all over again”. Her greatest memory

was making Bosun 3rd Class.

Since leaving the Navy, Carol spent 5 years living in Pensacola, Florida. Unfortunately she became ill and was forced to move home, have surgery, and recover in her parents’ home. She now lives in Jamesport and is still dealing with the death of her mother last year.

Gratitude, Respect & Best Wishes to Our Veterans

To our men and women in uniform, both past and present, thank you for your service. We salute your patriotism, courage, hard work, loyalty and dedication, and we appreciate all of the sacrifices you have made to protect the freedoms we cherish.

Cameron Regional Medical Center 1600 E. Evergreen | Cameron, MO (816) 632-2101

Elmer Kiehl, Quarter Master 3rd Army Served Under Gen. PattonWWII

Ward Vinyard, Arm, Korean War

Joseph O. Meals, Army, WWII Wounded Battle of Bulge

Martin Kiehl, Navy,USS Cowpins Pacific Tuphoon Cobra WWII

Missouri is home to more than 400,000 Veterans and more than 35,500 military members. You yourself may even be a service member, veteran, or family member. It can almost be guaranteed that you have had some kind of interaction with this group of individuals. We also realize that veterans, like many others, may be experiencing their own mental health challenge. In recognition of May being Mental Health Awareness Month, we would like to provide you with resources and training opportunities to help you learn more about mental health for this population.

Missouri Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe, Missouri Veterans Commission, Missouri Department of Mental Health, Missouri National Guard, Missouri Department of Economic Development, and the Office of the Military Advocate have created the “You Are Worth the Battle” Campaign (YAWTB). The campaign is designed as a way to educate and train Missourians on how to identify and help service members, Veterans, and their families (SMVF) during a mental health crisis. YAWTB provides resources, training opportunities, and practical steps to take before, during, and after a suicidal crisis. By educating the public, SMVF stand a better chance of getting the help they need. You are Worth the Battle aims to help give every member of the community resources

and practical advice on how to handle someone in crisis and what to do if you need help.

The U.S. Department of Defense has recently reported that suicide rates among active-duty military members in 2021 have been at the highest level since the Great Depression. There were 176 confirmed or pending suicide deaths for active-duty military in 2021, and 174 the year prior. According to the 2021 National Veteran Suicide Prevention annual report, veterans accounted for 6,261 of 45,861 U.S. adult suicide deaths in 2019. There were also 202 military family members’ deaths in 2019 linked to suicide.

To find mental health resources aimed at active duty, veterans, and their family members, please visit the Missouri Benefits and Resource Portal. The Portal is a service guide meant to help SMVF find local resources for everything from mental health to employment and more. If you are a veteran or know a veteran in crisis, please call the Veteran Crisis Line at 1-800-2738255 PRESS 1 or text 838255.

PsychArmor, which is a national nonprofit organization that provides education and training to improve health and life outcomes of militaryconnected individuals, teamed up with the U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) to provide free suicide prevention training. “Helping Others Hold On” will give tools and tips to recognize, understand, and combat suicidal feelings in

Veterans. Visit learn.psycharmor.org/courses/helpingothers-hold-on to take the training today. PsychArmor offers several free classes concerning topics critical to the military community, including hiring Veterans, Veteran spouses, suicide prevention, and education. These courses count towards your continuing education and can be entered in the ESS portal under training.

Simple steps like knowing how to start a mental health conversation and how to identify common signs of a mental health crisis can help save a life.

The State of Missouri is committed to doing its part in ending suicide among SMVF. We know that one suicide is one too many. A mental health crisis can happen at any time to anyone. Join us on our mission to help educate and train our communities on suicide prevention techniques. Remember, You Are Worth the Battle.

The Cameron Veterans Home Assistance League is proud to offer donor opportunities for the new military silhouette display that you’ll observe when entering the Veterans Home in Cameron. The new memorial includes 5 military silhouettes, a beautiful arrangement of landscaping, new large sidewalks for Veteran wheelchair accessibility, boulders for background accent and lighting to highlight the magnificent setting.

This Setting is a great tribute to all Veterans and will be a remarkable gift to those who served our country for the freedom we enjoy today. If you wish to contribute the following designations is recognized at the site on an engraved plaque placed on a marble display. You may also make donations in memory of your most loved Veteran. The Assistance League whose sole purpose is to “enhance the quality of life for Veterans in the Home” are proud to sponsor this military silhouette project in honor of all those who have served.