AMVETS One tour stops in Las Vegas to raise awareness of suicide among veterans

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Leaving no veteran behind. That’s the message from the nonprofit AMVETS One as the organization toured across America to raise awareness about veteran mental health and suicide prevention.

One of the stops was in the Las Vegas valley at U.S. Vets off East Bonanza Road.

“It’s hard to talk about suicide ideation, that’s the main thing but a lot of the people here, you ask them, and they’ve had the thoughts,” Jeff Lukens, a Marine Corps veteran and the California commander for AMVETS One, said.

With veterans at a higher risk for suicide, he’s made it a mission to get involved.

“One of the main signs of someone who may commit suicide is they give their possessions away, look for that,” Lukens explained. “Say if someone talks a lot and all of the sudden is quiet, mood swings if they are irritable than they were in the past, it’s those slight little nuances that you look for those. A lot of us when we’re in the military we’re trained don’t ask for help because it’s a sign of weakness but on our bus you see a sign that said it’s okay to ask for help and one of our mottos for AMVETS is it’s okay to not be okay.”

AMVETS One is working with local community organizations like U.S. Vets, Operation Battle Cry, and Merging Vets and Players to empower community connection and help save lives.

“We want to promote when we go to the cities what do they have for veterans here right and having you all come out and give us that voice, people in Las Vegas know where to come like when people walk through the doors of U.S. Vets they can see this person,” Lisa Roybal said. She is a Navy veteran and AMVETS One committee co-chairperson.

“You can’t say ‘Oh it’s this person who may be homeless or this person who has a financial problem,’ you don’t know who you’re talking to so if we have these conversations it’s amazing the people who come up to us you would have never guess they’re struggling,” Roybal added.

Those at Tuesday’s event also recommended dialing or texting 988 for anyone who is in a mental health crisis and in need of immediate assistance.

“Reach out to your vets, ask if they need help, like myself I had some thoughts a couple months ago and like Ross Smith and Lisa Roybel they helped me, they are my leaning posts, find someone that you lean on and lean on those individuals,” Lukens said.

Other states on the AMVETS One tour stops this year include Utah, Idaho and Arizona.

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