Memorial Day event to raise awareness of veteran suicides

This Memorial Day weekend, the Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that nearly 70 US veterans will kill themselves.  According to the DVA Veteran Suicides 2012 Report, 22 former servicemembers commit suicide every day on average, a number that is growing.

The Charlottesville Center for Peace & Justice, Veterans for Peace Chapter 171, and local artist Tom Givens are hosting a project to raise awareness of these issues for Memorial Day.  Givens has created a dynamic sculpture from which will be hung 660 blank dogtags – one month’s worth of veteran suicides.

The display will be set up at the Central Plaza, Downtown Mall in Charlottesville on Saturday, May 24^th and Monday, May 26^th.