Veterinary group faces suicide

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Tuktojaktuk – Tuk for short – is located in the Northern Territories, on the edge of the Arctic Circle. For Army veteran and motorcycle enthusiast Jonathan Williams, it was an opportunity for change.

“I am an instructor at Portland Community College and their diesel service technology department. So we just take young men and women and turn them into diesel technicians,” Williams said. “One of my students was a Navy veteran and he was a motorcycle rider. And so we went for a few rides together. And during those trips he had told where some of the shipmates he had served with had taken their own lives. And that sparked the idea: what can we do about it? And so the documentary project kind of emerged from those examples.”

There is a popular military saying – “embrace the suck” – which means facing discomfort head-on, pushing through difficulties and growing stronger at the same time. One local non-profit organization, Veterans return 40 adventuresembraces the mess by talking about the ongoing crisis of veteran suicide.

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The all-volunteer group hosts backcountry adventures throughout the Pacific Northwest as a way to connect and support veterans and their families.

“It’s that adjustment of being with a group of individuals that you share a real stress bond with and that you can open up to and they become your family, your extended family, and now that’s gone and you’re back in the real world, if you will. And those connections no longer exist,” said JJ Morell, president of the organization. “What we’re trying to do is just provide camaraderie, where people feel like they can open up when they’re going through a hard time.”

It is a mission that the group literally takes on the road.

A short documentary, ‘Silent fights, riding for life’ follows their 22-day journey of 9,000 kilometers to the Arctic and back. Documentary filmmaker Grace Schuessler, a motorcyclist herself, joined the ride as a civilian to help tell their stories.

“Sometimes it is very difficult to discuss a subject like suicide. And so it can take some time to trust the guys you’re with to want to talk about these kinds of things,” Schuessler said. “I think an expedition is a great way to bond as a group, to connect as a group, and then a wonderful way to sit down and talk about difficult things.”

As the miles passed, the experienced and active riders shared raw and heartbreaking stories of losing their comrades and friends to suicide. At one point, US Coast Guard soldier Karl Jennings spoke about the loss of two members of his unit.

“It was more than I could handle, I wasn’t done experiencing the first loss when there was a second loss,” he said in the film. “I know if he had talked to me, I could have talked him out of it.” . But he had gotten to the point where he didn’t want to talk to anyone anymore. He just wanted the pain to stop. I know what that feels like and you don’t feel like it will ever stop.”

It’s a pain shared by fellow rider and veteran Brady Allen.

“I know if he had talked to me, I could have talked him out of it. But he got to the point where he didn’t want to talk to anyone anymore,” Allen said. “He just wanted the pain to stop. I know what that feels like and you don’t feel like it will ever stop.”

In this case, the journey is more important than the destination. The celebrations at the end of the road added fuel to the fire of their real purpose.

“I think everyone will walk away with a deeper understanding of what our veterans and our active-duty military community go through,” said Jonathan Williams, a professor at Portland Community College. “I’m a veteran. My son serves. Before I left, I felt like I was quite informed about veterans’ issues. But when I returned, I realized I still had a lot to learn about just some of the struggles that our men and women who serve or who have served go through.”

Williams says PCC was instrumental in supporting the nonprofit’s efforts, approving a grant that helped the documentary take shape. They hope this project will reach others who may not be able to join them on the journey.

“What keeps me going,” JJ Morell said, “is knowing that if you can help one person who may be struggling, that one person is worth it.”

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