Everybody has their own Ramadi
By Melanie Nelson, Public Affairs Officer
Quickly he learned, as did his older brother, that life on the outside is sometimes even tougher than your worst day in boots.
Dan Hanson is a Marine. He followed in his older brother’s footsteps when he enlisted. Hanson, a social worker with the Minneapolis VA’s Suicide Prevention Team, shared his story with a small collection of Veterans gathered for this month’s Café.
Hanson’s first deployment began with a suicide of a unit member before they ever stepped foot in Ramadi, a foreshadowing of what would come. Three hundred injuries, 35 deaths and seven suicides later, his deployed concluded. In the aftermath of war, one of his closest brothers in arms died by suicide, and Hanson got out of the Marines.
Quickly he learned, as did his older brother, that life on the outside is sometimes even tougher than your worst day in boots. One day in March, his brother called him and asked him to come over, saying he had hit rock bottom.
“Pick up some beer, bring a sleeping bag,” his brother said. But Hanson didn’t make it.
The next morning, he learned his brother died by suicide.
This put Hanson on an 18-month path that would put him through as much, if not more, than his tour in Ramadi. Day after day, after day, he questioned his purpose.
Hanson’s own attempt wasn’t successful, and he found himself at the St. Cloud VA on a 72-hour hold. But ultimately, this visit was the start of a renewed way he went about life, as he found his purpose. His purpose was to share his story to prevent the next person from dying by suicide.
Hanson spoke for 25 minutes to the group gathered in the comfortable room on the fourth floor of the Minneapolis VA, mostly of whom, were Vietnam Era Veterans. When he was finished, one after another they said, “I’m grateful for you telling your story.”
And then one after one, the Veterans shared a little of their own story. Each military service different, each journey to find their purpose different, each direct- or indirect - connection to suicide different, but all together in one room. Veterans connecting with Veterans, exactly what Café is all about.
Café is a drop-in group for Veterans. For one hour, on the third Friday of every month, Veterans gather for activities, educational sessions, and socialization. A schedule of upcoming topics for Café can be found online. The program is hosted by the Mental Health Integrated Care Community.