Retired U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. and USAA Board Member Gerald Murray speaks during the Day 1 of The American Legion 104th National Convention at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C., on Tuesday, August 29. Photo by Jeric Wilhelmsen/The American Legion

USAA board member looking forward to ‘facing the fight’ together with The American Legion

North Carolina Legionnaire Gerald R. Murray took to the stage to welcome American Legion Family members to the Legion’s national convention in Charlotte on Aug. 29. But he also had another message: one of the importance of suicide-prevention efforts among the veteran population and the Legion’s new entry into a group geared toward doing just that.

Murray, the 14th Chief Master Sergeant of the U.S. Air Force and a member of American Legion Post 82 in Shelby, N.C., also wore another hat during his address: that of a member of USAA’s board of directors.

Murray discussed USAA’s Face the Fight, a coalition of which The American Legion is a founder member. The coalition is made up of corporations, foundations, nonprofit and veteran-focused organizations joined together to raise awareness and support for veteran suicide prevention. The mission is to break the stigmas surrounding suicide in order to open conversation and support around the topic.

Face the Fight is funding and providing philanthropic grants to nonprofit organizations that can help stop veteran suicide.

“The American Legion, USAA, and a coalition of like-minded corporations, foundations and nonprofit and veteran-focused organizations have come together to Face the Fight,” Murray said. “This group is bounded together with the aspiration to cut veteran suicide in half by the year 2030.

“Our great organizations … have taken a stand to Face the Fight,” Murray said. “You know better than anyone that suicide is a major problem among our veterans. In fact, the suicide rate among veterans is 1.5 times the rate of the general population in our nation. We’ve got to do something about this. They’re our fathers, our mothers, brothers, sisters, friends, neighbors and our children. They’re brave men and women who’ve given so much through their service, only to end up in a crisis at home.

“I’m pleased to know that the Legion is a leader in this fight right beside USAA. I’m excited to see what we can achieve by facing the fight together.”