The American Legion National Commander comments on State of the Union Address

“The American Legion is pleased that the White House is bringing needed attention to the tragedy of veterans’ suicide. More than 71,000 veterans have taken their lives since 2010. It’s time we stop focusing on that horrific number and instead focus on the one veteran we can save. As a society, we need to let veterans know that it is OK to not be OK. We ask all Americans to ‘Be the one’ to encourage any veteran in crisis to call 988 (ext. 1) and take the path toward mental wellness. We welcome the Biden administration’s plan to add 350 peer specialists to the Department of Veterans Affairs over the next seven years. The American Legion believes that buddy checks are an effective preventative tool that saves veterans lives.  We believe that the veteran friendly initiatives offered by the president tonight will attract wide bipartisan support.”  — Vincent J. “Jim” Troiola, National Commander of The American Legion.