Tuesday, November 10, 2026
OPINIONS
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Fighting to address mental illness, stop soldier suicide
VETERANS DAY
On the morning of Saturday, May 9, I was shocked to read in Facebook Messenger that our college classmate, John, had passed away.
That shock was grounded in having seen John at our 50th college reunion in October 2025.
At that gathering, John seemed like John.
He looked healthy and fit.
John’s engaging eyes still had a sparkle of mischief in them. I’m sure those eyes were critical to him as a Marine pilot flying missions in a helicopter.
On the evening of the reunion’s first gathering, I enjoyed talking with John.
John had a good memory. He asked about my career in public education. Specifically, he wanted to know about my work as an elementary school principal. I shared with him how fortunate I had been with that assignment.
I had lots of questions for John about his career and his life after the Marine Corps. John kept his attachment to the Marines by serving as a Junior ROTC instructor at a high school in North Carolina. However, the schedule for the evening put those questions on hold.
The hard truth of John’s passing has made me think more about him.
I remember reaching out to him when I was serving as principal at Lakeside Elementary School in Henrico County. For a career day, I was hoping John might be able to pull some strings that would allow a Marine Corps helicopter to land on our playground. John tried his best. Red tape kept this from happening.
John wasn’t shy about speaking his heart. There was no camouflage. You knew his convictions.
I’m sure in his daily living and his career that the ups and downs of life found John too.
I don’t know why, but something internally really gnawed at me about John’s passing. Based upon my class reunion encounter with him, this loss just didn’t feel right.
A few days after reading the Facebook Messenger post, I learned from a classmate that John had died by suicide.
I was crushed. Sadly, our family, our neighborhood, our church, our schools, and our community are too familiar with died by suicide.
My wife lost her oldest sister. Our neighbors lost their oldest daughter, a very gifted high school social studies teacher.
In my public schools’ work, we lost parents, students and peers. I’ll never forget losing a former secretary at a school where I worked.
America knows died by suicide.
The CDC (Centers For Disease Control and Prevention) reported that in 2024, 48,824 people died by suicide.
In 2023, the annual report from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs recorded 6,398 veterans who died by suicide. Even though each death is a tragedy, this number was down from the previous two years.
I can’t begin to imagine the despair felt by John and others in their struggles with living. And, I’m certain I’m not the only one asking — why do we continue to lose our veterans?
On Saturday, July 11, our family was traveling to Topsail Island, North Carolina.
Not able to check into our rental house until later in the afternoon, we stopped at the Salty Turtle, a popular craft brewery.
The Salty Turtle dates back to 2017. Two former Marines and a business partner were responsible for its opening. The Salty Turtle has done well in crafting its beers and giving back to the Pender County community.
While enjoying my beer, I noticed a flag on the wall stating: Stop Soldier Suicide.
Beside the flag was a large framed display. Inside the frame was everything related to Master Sgt. Andrew G. Sullivan’s career in the Marine Corps.
His dress uniform, medals, and the American and Marine Corps flags were a part of the display.
Curious about the display, I asked a server about it. I learned that Master Sgt. Sullivan was a friend of the two Marines who started the Salty Turtle. Sadly, Master Sgt. Sullivan died by suicide.
The display honored Master Sgt. Sullivan, and it conveyed to customers that died by suicide continues to impacts our veterans.
I am deeply sorry for the loss of John.
I know from experience that the impact on family and longtime friends is difficult.
I hope John is at peace. America should never be at peace until died by suicide is no longer a reportable statistic.
Mahatma Gandhi said: “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
Don’t we owe it to our veterans to “lose ourselves” in support of their mental health?
Don’t we owe it to our veterans to ensure that services are in place to support their mental health?
Not just on Veterans Day, but every day, with real urgency, we must answer yes.
Note from author: I was honored to have this op-ed published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on Tuesday, November 10, 2026. Be sure to thank a Veteran today, and in truth, everyday. Bill Pike
