Trey Ring, right, was an Army veteran who served in the Iraq War. He died by suicide in January. John Ring, his father, is also an Army veteran. John and Trey Ring are shown in Nashville, in 2022. (John Ring)
WASHINGTON — California has become the first state to officially designate the Green Star Service flag as a banner to recognize families of veterans who died by suicide as Congress considers a similar measure to make the banner a national symbol.
“The tradition of honoring military families [with] banners dates back to World War I,” said state Sen. Thomas Umberg, an Army veteran, when the California Legislature adopted the resolution in May.
The Sgt. Walter F. Hartnett IV Green Star Veterans Service Act directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a banner called the Green Star Service Flag for the grieving families of veterans.
A Green Star Service Flag will raise awareness about the veteran suicide rate — which is 1½ times higher than the general population — and make it easier for grieving families to share their stories, said Rep. Robert Bresnahan, R-Pa., who is helping lead the bill in Congress.
“The banner would be a recognition of my son’s struggles and his military service,” said Army veteran John Ring, whose 26-year-old son, Trey, an Iraq War Army veteran, took his own life in January.
“The flag would help to demonstrate that veteran suicide is a very real problem and hopefully encourage veterans having a hard time with PTSD and other issues to get help,” said Ring, who leads WalkforVets.org, which supports veterans in crisis.
Ronald Brown, an Army veteran who has lost former battle buddies to suicide, said he would welcome a national flag that represents grieving families.
Brown, of Virginia, said he believes the banner would help inform the public about the prevalence of veteran suicide.
“Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among veterans under the age of 45,” Brown said. “Anything to raise awareness in the public sector would help.”
Brown, who served in Desert Storm, said veterans struggling with PTSD, traumatic brain injury and other challenges might be more willing to ask for help when there is a greater understanding by the public of their suicide risk.
“The veterans I’ve known who’ve taken their lives did not talk about it or share their plans. They did it without people around them realizing the weight of the burdens they carried,” said Brown, who works as a toxic wound consultant with Vietnam Veterans of America.
About 14% of adult suicides are veterans, even though they make up 7.6% of the U.S. population, according to the National Institutes of Health. Mental health conditions often play a role.
The VA runs a round-the-clock crisis phone line, which connects veterans who dial 988 +1 with immediate help. Veterans can also chat at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat, or text 838255.
The momentum for a Green Star Service Flag is really a story about families and their loss, said Matt Cahill, an Army veteran and founder of Green Star Families of America, an organization dedicated to making the banner a national symbol.
“Their stories are different, but the message is often the same,” Cahill said. “After losing a veteran to suicide, many feel invisible.”
Cassandra Fuentes and Steven Osborne, a Marine Corps veteran, were raising their son, David, together. Osborne, who had PTSD after serving in Afghanistan, died by suicide. (Cassandra Fuentes)
“There is not a whole of support for survivors who’ve lost loved veterans to suicide,” said Cassandra Fuentes, whose partner, Marine Corps veteran Steven Osborne, died by suicide in 2022. (Cassandra Fuentes)
Cassandra Fuentes, of California, said that she welcomes the Green Star Service flag as a new state banner in her home state. But she said it is important for the Green Star Service flag to have broader recognition.
“There is not a whole lot of support for survivors who’ve lost loved veterans to suicide,” said Fuentes, whose long-term partner, Marine Corps veteran Steven Osborne, died by suicide in 2022. She is raising their school-age son, David.
Osborne, who suffered from PTSD, experienced “a long downward spiral” after serving in combat in Afghanistan, she said. The former lance corporal was honorably discharged in 2012.
“Other groups are recognized for their losses and their loved ones’ military service — like the Gold Star and Blue Star families,” Fuentes said. “But the families who have lost veterans to suicide related to their military service are often left in limbo.”
