WAYNESVILLE — Marines from across the country reunited for the first time in nearly 15 years to raise awareness for mental health among members of the armed forces.
Event organizer Dean Harshman said the goal of the gathering, which stemmed from a comment on a Facebook group, was to show formers Marines that they were not alone.
The Department of Veteran Affairs reported that nearly 18 veterans commit suicide each day. Harshman said that was something everyone involved at the event wanted to combat through an initiative called “Forever Outside the Wire.”
“We’re all going to be fighting war’s demons: the things we saw, the people that we lost, everything that happened over there is always going to be haunting us. And while we were physically in battle, we never fought alone and we can’t do it here as well,” Harshman said.
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Chris Mauzy, a former Marine, said he knows men who have felt very alone and isolated after returning home from combat and during the pandemic. He wanted veterans to know they are not alone.
“You are not alone in this fight. You do have brothers that care about you and love you and want to be there to support you though those troubling times,” Mauzy said.
Veterans and their families ate free at the event, which also included a bounce house and live entertainment. It was held at the Stone House Tavern.
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