Allenstown Alt. - Flags for Forgotten Heroes on Display in Allenstown

Hundreds of Flags for Veterans and First Responders Lost to Suicide

Dateline: June 1, 2021
Story by Michael Frascinella and Trish Caruso
All photos courtesy of Jeff Venegas

On May 15 at 10 a.m., residents and veterans met at the Allenstown Police Station on Allenstown Road (Route 3 & 28). They participated in the installation of Flags for Forgotten Heroes in memory of all the veterans and first responders who are lost to suicide each month.

Flags for Forgotten Heroes is a program organized by The Honor Bear, a non-profit whose mission is "to make sure We Never Forget our Fallen Heroes."

A number of people spoke at this event. Rich Caruso gave opening remarks explaining that

660 flags were being planted to memorialize the veterans who die by suicide each month.
Five large American flags were installed to memorialize the 120+ First Responders who die by suicide each month.
One large flag was placed to honor the 40+ active service members who die by suicide each month.

Other speakers included Kim Hebert and Bill Rohr, founding members of The Honor Bear, and two mothers, Lynne Patton and Patti Cloutier, who each lost sons to suicide.

Allenstown's Select Board Chairman, Scott McDonald, gave an eloquent speech in which he reminded all in attendance that

"we also need to remember those who died not in battle from a bullet or bomb, but at their own hands after struggling with the insidious demons of post-traumatic stress. May these flags remind us that, in spite of the ongoing and patently unfair social stigma that many still associate with suicide, we cannot forget these heroes and, more importantly, we need to seek them out and give them the compassion and care they need to stay with us here in this life."

Representatives from the Matthew Patton Foundation, Til Val Halla and Veteran & First Responder HealthCare (VFR) were in attendance and provided information and resources regarding suicide prevention. Members from Concord for Hometown Heroes Banners, Rolling Thunder, and Police & Fire responders from Allenstown, Pembroke and Hooksett, as well as many of Allenstown's citizens assisted with planting the flags. The flag installation will remain on display through the end of June.

Banners for Allenstown's Hometown Heroes were on display.

Containers with flags were set out for volunteers to install.

The Til Val Halla truck lists the names of service personnel who have taken their own lives. Two names were added to the truck that day.

Military flags were included out of respect to each of our military branches that lost personnel to suicide.

Local Scouts assisted with the planting of the flags.

Volunteers placed the flags using the white marks as guides.

A volunteer placing flags at the end of a row.

Several rows of flags in place

The final row of flags being set out.

Ground level view of the flags

Another ground level view

View along seven rows of flags

The field of flags was backed by military flags.

The completed display honoring the fogotten heroes

What You Can Do

Be sure to check in with family and friends, and even co-workers to regularly ask how they are doing. Be sincere and attentive to their response. Put aside your discomfort and ask the hard questions: "Do you think about hurting yourself or others?" "Do you think about killing yourself?"

Asking these questions will not prompt anyone to start thinking about hurting or killing themselves, rather these questions show that you genuinely care and can save someone's life.

Educate yourself on suicide prevention resources and be prepared to share them with family, friends, and co-workers. Stop the stigma regarding suicide and start preventing suicide.

Start with these resources:

Veteran & First Responder HealthCare (VFR): https://www.vfrhealthcare.com/

Matthew Patton Foundation: https://www.matthewpattonfoundation.org

National Suicide Prevention Line: 1.800.273.8255 or 911.