Memorial Day Tribute:
Letter to my brother who died while serving in the U.S. Army
Dear Junior,
How is every thing for you? According to mom, things with you are just great!! You missed a nice family reunion. Well, it was pretty nice even if half the relatives went to a restaurant, while the others had a cookout. Our sister's children are just beautiful. They're not babies anymore. Her last one is such a beautiful baby!! He looks exactly like his father. He has huge dimples and dark eyes and eyebrows, just like his dad. Her oldest one is very large. He is nice, but he does have a special ability to irritate the heck out of you.
Our brother D and his wife have a new house on Grande Blvd. It's really large and in a nice neighborhood. They're making it. They're also expecting their third baby, due in a short time. Our brother CL is the local playboy now that he has his new car. Your little sister, Nan, is getting prettier and she's talking about getting "saved." Yeah, you heard me right. She's also talking about turning away from the church we grew up in.
I'm still very interested in this guy, the one I told you about. If all goes as planned we might send you a wedding invite in December.
Mom is still looking good in her new car. I love that car--it's just beautiful. I'll be glad when I get one--a new one.
I received your letter the other time but Nan didn't see it yet. I'm sorry about that. Write her one yourself. You are too much. You had me laughing all over the place about what you said about your new friend. Anyway, you'd better hope you're in luck. Or else (smile).
Take care and write soon. Your sister,
MD
"Sleep on son and take your rest we all love you but the Lord loves you best. R.I.P."
(Words written by his mother and inscribed on his tombstone.)
It always surprises me that no one seems to know when someone they love is on a suicide mission. Of course, I know you can never save someone from themselves. Still, knowledge is power. When you think someone has given up, you might stop them, ask them how they're really doing, and reassure them that they are not alone and there is someone who cares whether they make it through this journey called "life," or not.
The list of suicides goes on and on, but the the death of recording artist and musical genius, Prince, especially saddened me and probably you as well. To die leaving at least 300 million dollars to no one in particular seems tragic. Now that he can no longer speak for himself, it seems he has more relatives than the law allows. Where were they when he needed someone to talk to?
If you love someone, you need to check their vital signs, tell them you love them, and spend time with them so they know they are not alone and they can feel confident knowing you are there to support them. And no, you will not leave. After you have said and done this, you can only hope and pray that what you said made a difference.
The suicide statistics below are excerpted from the website, www.save.org. Access the website for additional information.
Suicide Facts
SAVE uses the most current data available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2014, there were 42,773 deaths by suicide in the United States. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death; homicide ranks 17th. It is the second leading cause of death for 15 - 24 year olds. Click on the chart to the right 
which shows the Ten Leading Causes of Death in the U.S. in 2014. For more data, you may visit www.cdc.gov or www.who.int. For more comprehensive data, visit the CDC website's Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS)
General Statistics
- Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US for all ages. (CDC)
- The suicide rates decreased from 1990-2000 from 12.5 suicides per 100,000 to 10.4 per 100,000. Over the past decade, however, the rate has again increased to 12.1 per 100,000. Every day, approximately 105 Americans die by suicide. (CDC)
- There is one death by suicide in the US every 12.3 minutes. (CDC)
- Depression affects 20-25% of Americans ages 18+ in a given year. (CDC)
- Suicide takes the lives of over 38,000 Americans every year. (CDC)
- Only half of all Americans experiencing an episode of major depression receive treatment. (NAMI)
- 80% -90% of adolescents that seek treatment for depression are treated successfully using therapy and/or medication. (TADS)
- An estimated quarter million people each year become suicide survivors (AAS).
- There is one suicide for every estimated 25 suicide attempts. (CDC)
- There is one suicide for every estimated 4 suicide attempts in the elderly. (CDC)
