MANSFIELD — Mike and Jan Knecht stood in silence, gazes forward, with an empty casket between them.
Their sober countenance remained unbroken as they silently paid their respects and stood watch over the casket, which was draped in an American flag.
After 20 minutes, a volunteer walked up behind them, tapping both on the shoulder. Without a word, the couple walked away from the casket and down a pathway lined with photographs of veterans.
It wasn’t until they reached the final one that the silent tribute was broken. Mike wrapped his arm around Jan’s shoulder as she began to cry.
Below the Knechts sat a photo of their son, a U.S. Marine who died by suicide just over two years ago.
The Knechts were just two of the many volunteers who participated in Saturday’s Silent Watch, a fundraiser and memorial event raise awareness of veteran suicide.
Their son, Cory Knecht, graduated from Madison High School in 2002. He spent 10 years in the military, serving two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.
“After his first tour in Iraq, he was never the same,” Jan said. “He had PTSD right off the bat.”
Knecht retired from the Marines in 2012, but struggled to readjust to civilian life. He took his own life six years later at the age of 34.
“(Post-traumatic stress) is real. There’s a price you pay for defending this country,” Jan said. “It’s a price that needs to be respected.”
The Silent Watch tribute took place outside the Richland County Courthouse, where volunteers stood watch from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Some had signed up for their 20-minute shift beforehand, others just showed up.
Twenty four picture frames served as a stark example of the real toll of veteran suicide. Men and women of all ages, all dressed in military uniform, all gone too soon. Their ages ranged from 19 to 66 years old.
Retired Master Sergeant Tim Chandler of Ashland held the first Silent Watch in 2009 after two friends he served with took their lives. Both were members of the 179th Airlift Wing who had gone with Chandler to Afghanistan.
“I knew these guys from day one when they came into the unit,” he said.
Chandler held Silent Watches in Mansfield for three years, but the events didn’t get much traction.
“We never really got any support back then. Nobody wanted to talk about it,” Chandler recalled. “Back then, it was taboo to talk about suicide or anything like that. Especially in the military. People were afraid to get help because they didn’t want to lose their career.”
Last year, Chandler started Silent Watch up again, scheduling it in September to coincide with Suicide Awareness Month. This year, he posted a manual on how to host a Silent Watch on the organization’s Facebook page and contacted veterans organizations in all 88 Ohio counties, urging them to host their own watches.
So far, at least 10 have scheduled them. A few have even popped up outside of Ohio, with grassroots organizers hosting Silent Watches in Virginia, Texas, Florida and New York.
“We would love to get it national. That takes time,” Chandler said.
Chandler runs the Silent Watch nonprofit with Michele Hawks, whose brother took his life in 2008, a few months after returning home from Iraq. He was 22 years old.
“We want to be respectful and pay our respects and by doing that, be the voice that they didn’t have,” Hawks said. “Especially 12 years ago, there was such a stigma on suicide or mental health. They weren’t getting the results or the treatment that they needed.”
According to the VA, more than 6,000 veterans have died by suicide each year since 2008. In 2017, the suicide rate was 1.5 times the rate for non-veteran adults and veteran suicides averaged 16.8 per day. Hawks urged veterans who are struggling with PTSD to reach out for help.
“It’s okay to ask for help. It doesn’t make you weak or any less of a person,” she said. “There are people who care for you, and that there is help and your family that you would leave behind wants you to get that help. Whatever it takes.”
Chandler cautioned family and friends of veterans not to use phrases like “I know what you’re going through.”
“People want to help them, but a lot of times they end up saying the wrong thing that ends up pushing the button even farther,” he said. “Just let them talk. Don’t say anything. People have a hard time listening.
“A veteran just wants to get that off their chest. Sometimes that’s all they need is that outlet,” he added. “Just listen to them and give them a hug.”
Another way supporters can help is by reaching out to someone who truly does understand, like another veteran.
“If theyre really having problems, the best thing to do is find another veteran to talk to them,” he said. “We’ll go the extra mile to go help another veteran.”
All funds raised by Silent Watch pay for veterans with PTSD to get a stellate ganglion block. Originally developed to treat chronic pain, SGB is an injection of a long-acting local anesthetic into a bundle of nerves on the right side of the neck.
Advocates for the procedure claim that it reduces chronic anxiety symptoms by calming the exaggerated fight or flight response that is heightened in patients with PTSD.
A 2018 fact sheet published by the VA states attests to “emerging evidence” of the treatment’s effectiveness, but Chandler said veterans still have trouble accessing the procedure through the VA.
Nevertheless, Chandler is a passionate advocate for SGB. While it won’t cure PTSD, he says it significantly reduces symptoms. After getting the treatment last September, his anxiety attacks and nightmares are shorter and less intense.
“(My PTSD) was winning. If I hadn’t gotten the shot, I probably wouldn’t be talking to you today,” Chandler said. “It’s livable now.”
So far, Silent Watch has covered the cost of the procedure for four local veterans. Chandler said they’ve all had a positive response to the treatment.
If you are a veteran in crisis, the Veteran Crisis Hotline provides free, confidential support 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255. To contact Silent Watch, email silentwatch22@gmail.com or visit the organization’s Facebook page.
