A military mother’s worst nightmare is usually depicted as the dreaded moment when two uniformed service members knock on the door to notify her of her child’s death while serving their country.
But for Judie Holmes, that nightmare came in the form of a phone call from a detective, informing her that her son had overdosed as a result of post traumatic stress disorder — the enemy that strikes many soldiers after military service.
Richard Holmes II, a third-generation veteran who served eight years in the United States Army, died on July 29, 2011. He was 28 years old.
Later that year, on Nov. 11, Holmes founded the Richard E. Holmes II Memorial Foundation in Columbus in memory of her son.
Holmes told her story to Columbus Exchange Club members Thursday at the Lion Hills Center, as well as explained the organization’s mission and what the residents of Columbus and the surrounding area can do to help.
“The foundation was established in remembrance of our son, but we are truly here to serve and honor those who are with us — all of those young warriors who have fought or have served and have come home with those invisible battle scars,” Holmes said.
The organization offers career counseling, assistance with completing and filing documents, transportation, assistance with needs like food, short-term shelter and payment of delinquent bills. It also connects veterans with individual, group and family counseling, among other services.
“It is our belief that prompt accessibility to services will help these young individuals as they try to make their way back…and become a part of society (again),” Holmes said. “What we’re doing is trying to make the transition from military life back to civilian life as seamless as possible.”
While the main goal is to help returning military service men and women to transition from military to civilian life, Holmes has a heart for decreasing the suicide rate among active service members and veterans that is often a result of PTSD.
PTSD is a mental health condition triggered by experiencing or seeing a terrifying event, and it can lead to suicide.
Holmes said according to research, one active duty U.S. troop a day commits suicide, with one per week, on average, dying from a drug overdose.
She said one veteran among the entire veteran population commits suicide every 80 minutes, with the majority being men between the ages of 18 and 24.
But research shows that PTSD from combat trauma isn’t the only thing that triggers suicide. The stresses of war, frequency of deployment, loss of comrades, family separation, and brain injuries, can also be triggers.
Holmes said she hasn’t found a single program that has significantly helped reduce the surge in the suicide rate among veterans, but her hope is to help the approximately 10,000 registered veterans and many more who aren’t registered in the area by offering services through the foundation.
Residents who want to help can donate money to the donation-operated, non-profit organization or volunteer their time.
For more information, visit www.reh2.org or call 662-244-0324.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 47 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 47 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
