Final flags added to display in Plains

Navy veteran Ed Foste put out the final set of flags for Joint Operation Mariposa's veteran suicide awareness display along Railroad Street in Plains, a task he usually does with help. On Friday, Foste placed the last 22 American flags at the display to bring a total of 660 flags, which represent the 22 military veterans that perish every day in the act of suicide.

The first batch of flags were placed on September 1 by Plains residents Devin and Ahna Coonan and their two children, Lilah Jo and Coralynn. Just over 50 people, including veterans, those who hadn't served in the military, and children, helped Foste each night throughout the month of September, which is also National Suicide Prevention Month. All of the volunteers were Plains community members, except for a man from Hamilton, who had been passing through and wanted to help.

The exhibit, a tribute to Green Star families, those impacted by the suicide of a veteran, showed a few changes this year. Brad and Carla Kinzie of Plains added two solar-powered candles, a Stars and Stripes plaque with the phrase "Fallen But Not Forgotten" and a heart plaque that read "God Bless Our Veterans." Brad is a Navy veteran.

The exhibit also contained the traditional kneeling soldier silhouette, a 6 1/2-foot tall wooden cross with a Green Star flag, and ceramic "helping hands" to signify there is help out there and to guide the way for veterans. Foste noted that although the display represents the veterans who perished as a result of suicide, it's more for the families that are left to cope with the loss of their loved ones. The display includes the veteran crisis number - 988 and then hitting number 1.

Foste, who served in the Navy for 20 years, said suicide among veterans is a serious problem in the United States. According to the Veterans Administration, of the 46,510 American adults who committed suicide in 2018, 6,435 were veterans. "The annual total number of veteran suicide deaths increased by 36 from 2017 to 2018, an increase of 0.6% (from 6,399 in 2017 to 6,435 in 2018), while the veteran population fell by 1.5% (from 20.4 million to 20.1 million)," the VA stated in its annual report. Among women veterans in VHA care, suicide numbers decreased from 94 in 2017 to 81 in 2018.

The exhibit was dismantled on Monday, but will be back up next September.