One man’s mission to shine a light on veteran suicide
Troy resident Todd Schwalm is working to stop veteran suicide in a Facebook challenge. (Photo courtesy Sandy Beder-Miller)
Todd Schwalm is a Troy resident who has taken up a Facebook challenge to move 60 miles in a month.
He is doing this to highlight the alarming issue of veteran's suicide. This is not an easy task for Todd since he shattered his femur in an accident last year. His movement involves daily 2-mile increments by either walking on crutches or traveling in his wheelchair.
This is not an easy task to undertake in Montana in February. He is raising money for
“Stop Soldier Suicide” (https://stopsoldiersuicide.org/). Donations can be made directly to the organization or through his Facebook page.
Todd has a very personal reason for this mission. He lost his father and his stepfather to suicide. His father, Robert Lee Schwalm, was a PFC in the U.S. Army stationed in Germany in 1960. He suffered from alcoholism and associated medical conditions which caused him to take his life. His stepfather, Eugene Roy Beall, served as a naval mechanic in California in the early 1950s. He was diagnosed with dementia/Alzheimer’s. He took his life in 2020 as the diseases progressed.
An average of 6,375 male and female veterans committed suicide from 2001–2021, out of an average population of 22,464,000 according to US Veterans Affairs.
"Maybe this story could start the wave needed for bigger things in the future," Todd said.
Todd realizes times are tough, but any donation would be appreciated. He is hoping that by spotlighting “Stop Soldier Suicide” as a chosen charity, “other families don’t have to endure the loss or losses and the pain of this tragedy.”
He hopes the community will help him with this cause.