GREEN BAY (NBC26) — HOOAH's 12th Annual Veteran Suicide Awareness March in Wisconsin raises awareness of veteran suicide and honors lives lost through a shoe memorial.
- Honoring Lives Lost: HOOAH’s shoe memorial at the annual Veteran Suicide Awareness March represents veterans lost to suicide
- HOOAH offers free mental health resources and programs to help veterans and their families heal and find hope
- HOOAH helps veterans and their families navigate the challenges of mental health
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)
HOOAH, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit dedicated to helping veterans held its 12th Annual Veteran Suicide Awareness March. HOOAH, which stands for "Helping Out Our American Heroes," aims to prevent veteran suicide by raising awareness and providing support to veterans in need.
During the event, HOOAH displayed a shoe memorial, honoring veterans from Northeast Wisconsin who have died by suicide. The display symbolized the estimated 17.5 veterans who take their own lives each day in the United States, according to the Veterans Association.
"If you look at some of our boots," Tammy Hardwick, HOOAH President, said, "you see, they're holding their babies; they're somebody's brother."
For Hannah Miller, the event holds a deep personal significance. Her husband, a veteran, died by suicide on Nov. 6, 2022. Miller said after her husband's passing, his boot was added to the memorial in time for last year’s march, and for this year's march as well. Since then, her family has become active sponsors of the event.
"They’ve done so much for my family," Miller said. "This is for my husband."
With three daughters aged 5, 6, and 8 Miller said she has learned to cope with the loss and show her children a path forward, while honoring her husband’s memory.
"We don’t move on from him; he’ll always be a part of our lives. But we have to move forward with him in a different way. I just want them to be able to hopefully when they're older be able to look back and say my mom did that, and my mom was there for us through the hardest parts of our entire life." Miller said.
HOOAH offers therapy and other preventive programs at no cost to veterans and their families, aiming to address the mental health challenges many veterans face.
"We hope to eliminate suicide," Hardwick said.
