Share your Be the One story
Dear Legionnaires,
I have heard from many of you of the great work you are doing with The American Legion’s Be the One initiative to prevent veteran suicide. Together, we will save the life of veterans by our efforts of letting let veterans know that it’s OK to ask for help and by us reaching out to those in crisis.
American Legion Rider Larry “Grumpy” Haitz shared with us that he had to stop talking about the number of veteran suicides and do something about it. He endured the loss of a son-in-law who died by suicide, stood in flag lines for veterans who died by suicide, and supported a fellow American Legion Rider who lost his son from suicide. So Haitz, an American Legion Rider of Chapter 241 in Le Mars, Iowa, created a bracelet to help people who encounter a veteran in crisis quickly remember the suicide prevention hotline number so veterans know they are not alone.
The blue and white bracelet’s message is: Call 988 Option 1 – UR NEVER ALONE. Haitz ordered 1,000 wristbands to hand out for free.
“Five years ago, when we started talking about 22 a day (veteran suicide numbers), that’s all talk. If somebody doesn’t pick it up and do something, it’s only going to get worse. That’s what Be the One is to me – it’s I have to do something. I feel the need to Be the One to do something so this is what I’m doing.”
Department of Oregon American Legion Family members distributed nearly 800 Be the One slipknot bracelets during the Portland Trail Blazers Military Appreciation Night last month. Printed on the bracelets were the words “Be the One” and the website URL, betheone.org. “The bracelets are an engagement tool. They are a way to reach out to the community,” said Department First Vice Commander Cory Brockman. “They are designed as an engagement tool so the public can ask questions of us so they know what to do. And ask questions of veterans: Are you doing all right? Is your home life OK? Are you healthy? How can I help you?”
We want to hear your Be the One story. Please share on legiontown.org under the “Be the One” category. Like Haitz, let’s Be the One to do something.