On Sept. 21, 2024, Post 927 in Gilbert, Pa., hosted a Be the One event. The event included live music, food trucks, vendors and games. More importantly, Post Commander and event co-chair Everett Shaver (Air Force Lt.. Col., rtd.) spoke about what Be the One is and the importance of the mission. He spoke of personal loss and how we can all Be the One to help. He spoke about how important the Buddy Check system is and that by saving one we can collectively save thousands.
Beth Taylor, event co-chair and Riders secretary with her husband Zacheriah Taylor - vice commander/Rider director - took a moment before a raffle drawing to honor a member of the post lost to suicide this past year. They reminded people that the 462 dog tags hanging behind them were a simple symbolic reminder of all the lives lost in the last 21 days. As if that wasn't enough, Beth asked 22 people in the audience to rise and told everyone to look around because that's what 22 veterans who will take their lives today looked like, giving the audience a human connection and reminding them that it could be the person standing next to them who isn't there tomorrow.
A Gold Star Wife stood to speak about the effects of veteran suicide on families. She spoke about what it does to them mentally and the tolls it takes. How people tend to "judge" not just her but the veteran who has passed. That times have changed in the last 16 years since her husband's passing, and her hope that with missions like Be the One they continue to improve and help veterans.
Lehigh Valley Hospital Behavioral Health, a local health network, was on hand to help provide support and answer questions. They let people in attendance know that it doesn't matter where you get help, VA or your local facility, as long as you reach out to get it. Not to be afraid, that the crisis line is there to help, and these people truly care.
When Mrs. Taylor was asked by a local reporter why this event/project was so important, the response was easy: "It's important for me because I have seen the effects of war firsthand. Growing up I saw a family member who suffered from PTSD and health issues because of Agent Orange. I used to think how horrible this was for his generation. Then his generation became my generation with Desert Storm and 9/11 happened. I watched friends go and come. Most who did not return the same person they were when they left."
Together, all the members of Post 927 are ready to make a difference in the lives of veterans. This event was called something different in the previous three years before the Be the One mission. In 2024, as the first rebranded event, we were able to raise just over $10,000. In 2025 the event will enter its fifth year.
