Olney Legion concert benefit vet suicide prevention

American Legion Post 414 will host a May 18 concert whose proceeds will go to a program that combats suicide among military veterans, Post Commander Chris Garcia said.

The concert is the second in a quarterly series planned for this year to raise money and awareness for Legion programs and invite the public to the newand- improved Legion.

The second concert features Caleb Sam Brown, a singer-songwriter from Kingsville who said he was inspired by the artists he has seen and heard in dance halls from South Texas to College Station, where he attended Texas A&M University.

Mr. Brown, a former U.S. Marine, was the winner of the 2023 Larry Joe Taylor Songwriter Showcase.

He wrote and recorded an album in his home studio called “The Thing About Memory.” He played each of the twelve songs on his acoustic 1995 Washburn, a pawn shop Kona base, a second-hand mandolin, and a lap steel guitar.

The songs were inspired by Texas and his military duty stations, including a Civil War ghost story called “Blue and Gray and Red.”

The Legion’s “Be the One” program is designed to destigmatize asking for mental health support, provide peer-to-peer support and resources, and educate the public about how to “be the one,” according to the Legion.

The top issue facing the veteran community remains suicide, according to the National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report. The report estimates that between 17 and 22 veterans or service members -- or more than 6,000 - take their lives each year, the Legion said.

The suicide rate among veterans is 50 percent higher than that of non-veteran adults, it said. Veterans sometimes don’t speak up about mental illness because of fears of losing their job, or believe they can handle the situation themselves or that others won’t understand their situation.

The program aims to instruct family members and friends to recognize signs that their loved ones need help and how to connect them with services.

“This [concert] is part concert series and part benefit for the ‘Be the One’ initiative which is an American Legion program to help battle Veteran Suicide,” Mr. Garcia said.

Tickets cost $10 in advance and $12 at the door. The concert begins at 7 p.m.

For more information about purchasing tickets, go to the Legion’s Facebook page or call (940)564-9383.