Hello friends. I hope
this post finds each of you well and that you are enjoying all that Spring has
to offer. I especially hope that you are
able to be racking up some of those two wheeled miles that have proven to be elusive
to me.
If you’re in search of a place to ride and a reason to do
so, let me help you out. Bear with me
here for a minute as I unload on you a burden that weighs heavy on my
heart.
Since the attacks on 9-11, our country has been at war, the
longest war in the history of our nation.
A war like we have never before fought, and with an all volunteer
force. We’ve all watched the 24 hour
news feeds of the war on our televisions, from the streaks of green flame of
the anti-aircraft batteries around Baghdad, to the earth trembling scenes of
IED explosions in Kandahar. We have seen
the toppling of Saddam’s statues along with the hanging of Saddam himself. We have celebrated the death of Osama Bin
Laden and mourned the loss of our sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, brothers,
and sisters in uniform.
Eleven years of war.
It has lasted so long that there are some that forget we are even still
fighting. Nearly 5,000 of our servicemen
and women have paid the ultimate price on the battlefields of Iraq and
Afghanistan. Five thousand front porch
visits from stone faced messengers telling a family that their loved one will
not be returning. Devastating.
Now, let’s talk about something else equally as devastating
and to me, far more shocking and unacceptable.
Our military are coming home from war zones daily. We celebrate them. We call them heroes, and deservedly so. They stood in the gap for us. They laid their lives on the line for
us. They accepted as part of their daily
lives, the understanding that if by chance their life was to be given for us,
then so be it. But what happens to them
after the welcome home parties?
Our military are being killed at an unacceptable rate, but
not necessarily by the enemies of our country.
They are dying by their own hand, and they are doing it at an alarming
rate.
Fact: Our veterans are committing suicide at the
rate of nearly 2 dozen per day.
Fact: There are many
specific risks that our veterans are dealing with including:
·
Multiple deployments
to hostile environments
·
Length of
deployments
·
Exposure
to extreme stress, death, and combat.
·
Physical
and sexual assault while in service (not limited just to women)
·
Service
related injuries such as Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder
(PTSD), and other mental health diagnoses.
Fact: When our
veterans receive the needed (and available) care from a VA facility (specifically
a VA Serious Mental Illness Treatment, Research, and Evaluation Center), they
are three times LESS likely to commit suicide.
Friends, this has to stop!
In step the
American
Gold Star Mothers, specifically Mrs. Cindy Tatum and Mrs. Molly Morel.
The AGSM’s are an association of ladies who
have lost children in military service to our country.
If you
will recall, Bumpus Harley-Davidson teamed with these remarkable ladies last
summer and launched
"A Tour of Duty" in which we were able to raise over $25,000
to help fund the building of a Fisher House facility in Murfreesboro.
The issue of soldier suicide (as well as
Marine, Sailor, and Airman…. As these Marine mom’s quickly pointed out to me)
was one that weighed on them as much as me.
We began the process of researching what was needed and what could be
done.
Into the picture steps Irene
Trebilcock, an active duty member of the TN Army National Guard, a dedicated
Harley-Davidson rider, an Iraq veteran, friend and wife of BHD sales team
member and Iraq veteran Dan Trebilcock.
Irene is also the liaison for the TN National Guard for suicide
prevention.
Here’s what we learned.
There are many programs that are set up for our returning veterans to
seek and receive the assistance they need.
What we do not have is AWARENESS! The culture in which our vets exist does not
always lend itself to one that encourages them to seek help. We have to help them through that barrier.
This need sparked “A
Tour of Duty II”, a ride to end the epidemic of veteran suicide. We are partnering with the AGSM’s to raise
money to fund awareness campaigns for the programs that can and will save the
life of a vet on the precipice. We will
also spread the word across the state of Tennessee of how we can break the
cycle amongst the veterans that exist in our circle of family and friends.
This Saturday, June 8 at all Bumpus HD locations, TOD2 will launch. Here’s how it works. Stop by any BHD location. With your $20 registration fee, you will receive
a powerful “Tour of Duty II” t-shirt
emblazoned across the back with the warning signs of veteran suicide, and a
passport. The ride functions like
this. Take that passport to all other
BHD locations and get a stamp. You can
ride at your own leisure whenever you have time to do so. The ride will culminate with a final bash at
BHD in Jackson on July the 20th.
Have your completed passport in to us by that time, drop it in a bucket
and one lucky rider will win a $2500 Bumpus HD card.
The tour is every day.
You can register at any time. If
you can’t make the ride, hit every location, or don’t ride at all, no
problem. Your $20 donation will still
get you a t-shirt.
More importantly, you’ll be making a difference amongst
those that offered their life for yours.
They deserve it.
It’s all about the ACE
card…
A.C.E.
ASK- Ask a veteran if they are ok. Do they ever think of hurting themselves.
Care- Care
for a veteran. Remove means for self
harm. Remain calm. Actively listen and show
understanding. Produce relief.
Escort- Escort
the veteran. Never leave them
alone. Get them to a VA facility or
emergency room. Call a suicide
prevention hotline.
Ride safe and with purpose and I’ll see you this Saturday
for the kickoff.
