Death after War – Veteran Suicides

 

Veteran suicides as been labeled the silent epidemic because the rate has significantly risen since the so-called “War on Terror.” In 2001-2018 there were 419 suicides in serving and reserve & ex-serving ADF personal (Australian Defence Force). This number has gone up since these statistics were published. In the US., among veterans who served during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, suicide is the second leading cause of death for post 9/11 veterans accounting for 22.3% of all deaths. In 2014, an average of 20 a day died from suicide, or about 7,300 a year. For any “civilized” developed country, these deaths are unacceptable.

Some years ago, I discovered that the Australian government lied about the Japanese bombing of Darwin, under-reporting the number of deaths and military destruction. No need to go into the specifics. However, the place was devastated, and reporting the actual deaths, would put the Australian people into a “panic.” For this reason alone, believing statistics published by our government is always taken with a 'healthy suspicion.' - this includes the number of veteran suicides since 2001.

When we see how our government treats our veterans once they return from war is appalling. Certainly lack of adequate medical assistance and financial support has contributed to these suicides, but to come back from a war that you discovered was based on unadulterated lies, is also a huge factor for these soldiers taking their own lies.

Indeed a large array of problems, including drug addiction, alcoholism, divorce and a broken economic system have pushed these vets to seek no other alternative. But it is the 'action' of war, the unnatural crime of killing another human being for an ideal or the financial gain of corporations... that destroys the souls of these men and women.

During my time as a school teacher, as a history exercise, I had my Year 10 students attend a talk from an Australian Vietnam vet and an Australian who opted to go to jail for a year for refusing to be conscripted. The “draft dodger” that went to jail for a year explained his reasons which included not fighting in a foreign land for “stupid reasons.” He didn't believe the propaganda that now we know to be just that: lies to go to war. The man who served in Vietnam returned with what we now call PTSD. Because of his experiences, witnessing the murdering of innocents, he came back to protesters, a wife wanting a divorce to eventually slip into chronic alcoholism. It took the man-years to recover, and as he said, he came close to topping himself as well.

When we strip the flag-waving nationalism, the “serving your country,” and the lies given to us about going to war, it becomes clear that the whole construct of this destructive edifice is a racket designed to financially enhance the few and the acquisition of absolute power.

When we face these inconvenient truths about war, the reasons for veteran suicides become obvious.

As an added note, if a government is willing to send their sons and daughters to war, and if they return alive, they should take care of them for life. Currently, this is not the case.