Levy Family Episode 7 Program Transcript

FEMALE SPEAKER: How did you find out? MALE SPEAKER: There's a guy who served in our platoon. He didn't call. Wrote an email. He said it would bother him too much if he talked about it. Sorry to be the one who tells you that Eric committed suicide last night. The last time I saw him, he said he was adjusting to civilian life pretty well. His girlfriend told me it wasn't true. She said he told everyone he was doing fine. But the nightmares kept after him even when he wasn't sleeping. It just tore him up. I guess he decided he'd had enough. He ended it with a service revolver. Marine to the end. FEMALE SPEAKER: I'm sorry, Jake. MALE SPEAKER: Thank you. You know, I spend almost every night in front of the TV, drinking until I can't remember anything else. But I read that email last night, and I didn't drink a drop. I just kept thinking about Eric. You know we went through Parris Island together? FEMALE SPEAKER: I didn't know that. MALE SPEAKER: Yeah. I didn't turn on the TV, either. I went straight to the computer. And before I knew it, I was reading about veterans and suicide. They say about 22 veterans commit suicide every day, 22. That's like one every hour. Makes it sound like we're time bombs. Makes you wonder which one of us is going to go off next. FEMALE SPEAKER: You sound glad that you didn't drink last night. MALE SPEAKER: Yeah. I've been trying to quit for my wife. But that email-- you know what else I read online? I checked all over with the VA, but it doesn't look like they do anything to help prevent suicide. I mean, they offer help if you ask for it, but no prevention. Who's going to ask for help, right? They train you to be stronger than everyone else, to endure. Asking for help is just not something most men do. FEMALE SPEAKER: Do you need help, Jake? MALE SPEAKER: I need a lot, but not like that. I'm not ready to check out yet. I got a baby on the way. © 2017 Laureate Education, Inc. 1

Levy Family Episode 7 I found out something else. I was reading about this veteran who committed suicide in another state. And they started this program in his memory that brings other vets together to help each other. FEMALE SPEAKER: Peer counseling? MALE SPEAKER: Yeah, that's it. And I spent the whole rest of the night thinking, why don't we have something like that? We should be reaching out to all vets, not just those who are already getting mental health services. I'd even volunteer to get something like that going. FEMALE SPEAKER: Well, that's a great idea. But we'd need to find the money for a program like that. I mean, our budget is maxed out. We'd have to lobby the state legislature for the funding. MALE SPEAKER: Well, I'll do it. I'll write the letter. I want to try. FEMALE SPEAKER: Well, OK. MALE SPEAKER: I can't let Eric go without doing something for him. For me, too. Levy Family Episode 7 Additional Content Attribution MUSIC: Music by Clean Cuts Original Art and Photography Provided By: Brian Kline and Nico Danks

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