Wisconsin Legion Family take strides to Be the One
Michelle Leick Leurquin found herself in a dark place many years ago following her deployment to Iraq. She called the suicide hotline, long before it was 988, only to be hung up on and then put on hold. As she drove to a remote area where her husband had a hunting cabin, her then 2-year-old chocolate Labrador Retriever crawled across the seat to put his paws in her lap and rub his head against her.
“My dog saved my life. He was an amazing, amazing dog,” said Leurquin of her late dog Blue who lived 15 years. “The next day my provider at the VA actually called me, on a Saturday, and we sat on the phone for a half hour or so and talked (about what was causing the darkness). Ever since then I’ve struggled and had some rough times, but I always think back to Blue. I remember the feeling and the comfort that he gave me.”
Leurquin, a member of Post 436 in Wrightstown, Wis., is letting other veterans know that they are not alone in their darkness by walking for Be the One – The American Legion’s suicide prevention mission to save a veteran’s life. Leurquin was part of the Department of Wisconsin’s 2.2-mile Be the One Walk held July 10 during the department convention in Appleton, Wis., at the Hilton Paper Valley Hotel. It’s the fourth suicide prevention walk that Department of Wisconsin Vice Commander Jim Johnson has organized during a department conference over the past few years.
“I’m trying to bring in exercise to increase our overall wellness, both physically and mentally,” said Johnson, a member of Post 82 in Port Washington, Wis. “It breaks the stigma of all of us just sitting in a bar. It gets us out in the community, they see what we’re doing, and it brings everybody together for Be the One to bring awareness to suicide.”
Department of Wisconsin American Legion Family members gathered in the hotel lobby prior to the 3 p.m. walk start to sign a large Be the One banner and carry the name of a veteran. On a table sat 22 one-pound stones that represented the lives of veterans lost daily to suicide. Some of the stones were personalized with the names of veterans who died by suicide, while others featured words of remembrance.
Leurquin, who medically retired from the Army after 22 years, carried a stone that said, “I remember.”
“It’s important for me to carry this rock because I want everyone to remember that suicide is all around us, and as veterans every day we struggle, no matter if we look like we’re struggling or not.”
First Vice Commander Jarrod Coulter of Post 38 in Appleton carried a stone with a few names written on it. While he didn’t know the veterans, he walked the 2.2 miles with the stone as a reminder that suicide touches the lives of so many.
“I had a family member that succumbed to suicide as a result of (military) deployments so that’s why I showed up. I figured it would be good to carry the rock for someone else,” said Coulter, an Army veteran who at 46 years old joined the Legion three years ago after learning about the organization’s mission and advocacy efforts for veterans. “Anything that we can do to prevent soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen from taking their lives is critical. The Be the One initiative, making sure that we are doing Buddy Checks helps, shows results and hopefully makes a difference. If there is anything I can do … show up for a walk, do Buddy Checks, to help someone recognize that they are not alone, that there are other folks feeling the same and going through the same things, I’m all for it.”
The Be the One walk was an out and back from the Appleton downtown hotel along sidewalks. Legion Family walk participants, that included Past National Commander Denise Rohan, were led for 2.2 miles by Department of Wisconsin Commander Karl Stuvengen, who carried an American flag, and Department of Wisconsin Historian Michelle Adams, who carried a Be the One flag.
“You are encouraged to talk to one other, maybe even find a new friend. Try to Be the One for each other,” Johnson said before walkers departed the hotel. “There are conversations that we have on the walks that sometimes are deep … when you look at the stones that people put names on them, they mean something that you want to talk about. I want us to be together and try to prevent suicide. That’s the piece.”
Johnson served 15 years in the military between the Marines and National Guard, was an MP in Baghdad, and retired from law enforcement in Port Washington.
The first female to die in combat in Iraq was in his squad. “She was 20. I turned 42 in Iraq. The troops were like my kids,” he said. “I struggled with stuff; I have PTSD. If I can help others feel better, that’s what I’ll do. Because The American Legion encourages us to Be the One, to talk with others about how we’re feeling, ask for help when we know we need it, to know there are millions of people out there ready to help us, to know that we are not alone in our struggles.”
When Legion Family members returned from the Be the One walk, the 22 stones were returned to the table followed by 22 seconds of silence and prayer. The stones will stay on the table under a Be the One pop-up banner throughout the Department of Wisconsin’s conference as a reminder of the No. 1 issue facing the veteran community – suicide.
“Thank you for being the one as we raise awareness and remember those who are not with us,” Johnson said in his closing remarks after the walk. “We helped our own wellness while bringing awareness to the internal struggles of our brothers and sisters. During our 2.2 for the 22 walk, each of you were being the one for each other.
“You are the one.”