Suicides amongst veterans on the rise

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - It's an alarming statistic, but according to the Army Times , each day 18 veterans commit suicide.

With veterans serving multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, those numbers only continue to rise.

Tuesday, one of those veterans was laid to rest at Albert G. Horton, Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery in Suffolk.

10 On Your Side introduced Hampton Roads to Iraq veteran Jonathan Bartlett in 2004. Bartlett, then 19-years-old, lost both legs after the Humvee he was driving hit an improvised explosive device (IED).

The courage and determination displayed by Bartlett inspired many to help him rebuild his life.

Last week, Bartlett, like so many other returning war veterans, took his own life. He was 27-years-old.

When 10 On Your Side first met Bartlett, he was undergoing physical therapy at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. While his legs were gone, his fighting spirit was not.

"I screamed, 'Why me?', like twice, and I was, you know, I had tears in my eye,s and I got over it. It's just the way it is. It's just something you have to deal with," Bartlett said in a previous interview with 10 On Your Side.

It was that attitude that earned him the respect and admiration of his community. So much so, volunteers and corporate sponsors stepped up to remodel his family's Norfolk home to accommodate his physical disability.

But, not all the injuries suffered by returning soldiers are visible. It's the hidden scars that often become too much to bare.

According to an Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America report, veteran suicides continue to rise. In March 2012, 28 soldiers reportedly took their own lives. The month before 15 suicides were reported, according to the U.S. Army.

In 2011, the Veterans Affairs Department reported an average of 950 suicide attempts each month in 2009. Seven percent of those attempts were successful while 11 percent of those who didn't succeed the first time tried again in nine months.

For the loved ones they leave behind, there is seldom any warning.

Access to care appears to be a key factor in preventing suicides. In fact, the suicide rate is lower for veterans 18 to 29 who are using VA Health Care Services than those who are not. 

Click here for places you or a loved one can get help for the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.