Troy University’s TROY for Troops Center will take part in a statewide remembrance of the 139 Alabama veterans who lost their lives in the last year to suicide.

On Sept. 8, representatives from the TROY for Troops Center will place an American Flag for each of those veterans on the quad in front of John R. Lewis Hall as a part of Operation We Remember.

The Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs partners with the Alabama Department of Mental Health and colleges and universities throughout the state to present this annual visual reminder that suicide knows no boundaries. Operation We Remember takes place each September, which serves as National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.

“Our goal is to honor those who have served and raise awareness for this often stigmatized issue and encourage support and resources for mental health,” said Scot Brumbeloe, Troy University’s Director of Military and Veterans Affairs. “These flags are not random; they serve as poignant reminders of the heavy toll that invisible wounds can take.”

According to the 2024 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report issued by the Veterans Administration, there were 6,407 suicides among Veterans nationwide in 2022, the equivalent of 17.6 Veteran suicides per day.

Veterans can get free, confidential support from a live, qualified representative around the clock, 365 days a year, by dialing the Veteran Crisis Line number 988.