Milwaukee VA to mark Sexual Assault Awareness Month with display of 1,262 flags
PRESS RELEASE
April 8, 2022
Milwaukee , WI — Volunteers will plant 1,262 flags on the Milwaukee VA Medical Center grounds Monday, April 11, to symbolize the survivors of military sexual assault who have been served by the hospital.
The display, which will remain for two weeks, is intended to raise awareness of Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April. The teal flags will be formed into the shape of a ribbon.
Media are invited to come out and record the event, which will begin at noon on Monday, April 11, and is expected to last about two hours. Todd Witt, Military Sexual Trauma Coordinator for the Milwaukee VA, and Andrea Knowlton, Intimate Partner Violence coordinator, will be available to talk about the display and answer questions about sexual assault in the military and how VA works to help survivors.
- TIME AND DATE: Noon to 2 p.m. Monday, April 11.
- LOCATION: Milwaukee VA Medical Center, 5000 W. National Ave., Milwaukee. The display will be on the grass near the hospital’s East Entrance.
“One in 5 women and 1 in 100 men have told VA health care providers that they experienced sexual trauma in the military,” Witt said. “This display is a way to honor the survivors and raise awareness that help is available through VA.”
VA offers free counseling and treatment to Veterans and former service members for mental and physical health conditions related to MST. They do not need to have reported the MST experience at the time or have any documentation of it to receive care. Further, they may be eligible to receive these services even if they do not qualify for other VA care.
Similar displays will be located at the Milwaukee VA’s community-based outpatient clinics in Green Bay, Appleton, Cleveland and Union Grove.
Learn more about the Milwaukee VA’s recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month here.
Media: If you are interested in covering this event, please contact Public Affairs Special David Walter at 414-384-2000, ext. 45176, or email David.Walter@va.gov. Note for Green Bay media: While there will be no live event at the outpatient clinics, Green Bay media are encouraged to reach out for interviews with Katie Thomas, the Military Sexual Trauma coordinator for the northeast Wisconsin clinics.