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<p>PLAINS TWP. &#8212; Michael and Sally Wargo had no idea the inner struggles their son, U.S. Army Spc. Michael Wargo, was going through.</p><p>They did find out their son was very troubled, but it was too late &#8212; they were watching a video after their son committed suicide in 2013 at age 36, leaving behind a wife and child. In that video, in retrospect, they detected troubles he never discussed with them in life.</p><p>The Wargos were part of a roundtable discussion on the topic of preventing veteran suicides held Thursday at the Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center.</p><p>U.S. Reps. Matt Cartwright and Dan Meuser and state Sens. Lisa Baker and Mike Regan participated, along with federal, state, county officials, advocates and military personnel.</p><p>The group discussed how federal, state, and local officials can cooperate to help veterans, invest in their well-being, and prevent suicides.</p><p>But it was the Wargos &#8212; Gold Star parents &#8212; who provided the most insight, detailing how their lives were forever changed and how they were left wondering what they might have been able to do to prevent their son&#8217;s suicide. Their son served with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan.</p><p>&#8220;These guys and girls are away from home for years and they want to get back to their families and life as they knew it before they were deployed,&#8221; Mr. Wargo said. &#8220;We never knew what our son was going through until after the fact. How many other families are out there that could face this nightmare.&#8221;</p><p>The Wargos, of Lehighton, suggested a program be established that would check on the veterans when they return home and again in six-month intervals to see how they are adjusting and to ask if they are OK.</p><p>&#8220;I think you would see that the answers would differ each time you talked to them,&#8221; Mr. Wargo said. &#8220;Most veterans won&#8217;t seek help. We have to seek them out and make sure they get the help they need.&#8221;</p><p>Mrs. Wargo said the possibility of suicide goes beyond the veteran. She said her granddaughter, Michael&#8217;s daughter, &#8220;tried to take her own life.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;She blames herself for her father&#8217;s death,&#8221; Mrs. Wargo said. &#8220;We have to find a way to help her and help other family members who may have guilt feelings. We couldn&#8217;t have prevented our son&#8217;s death. We have to do more to help veterans and their families who are grieving.&#8221;</p><p>Mr. Wargo said they visited with their son in Delaware to talk about why he was seeking a divorce.</p><p>&#8220;He shut me out,&#8221; Mr. Wargo said. &#8220;We did everything to get him to talk about it, but he hid everything. He just didn&#8217;t want to talk about it. There has to be a way to reach people like my son before it&#8217;s too late. We were only trying to help.&#8221;</p><p>Baker said suicide is a difficult subject, but it&#8217;s critical to discuss to find out what can be done to help.</p><p>&#8220;This is a widespread problem that has shown no sign of abating,&#8221; Baker said. &#8220;After veterans have served for us, they should not have to fight the system to get help.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Some alarming statistics</strong></p><p>&#8226; 22 veterans commit suicide each day in the U.S. &#8212; double the general population rate.</p><p>&#8226; Post-traumatic stress disorder does not automatically lead to suicide &#8212; 27 percent of those diagnosed with PTSD have attempted suicide.</p><p>&#8226; Seven of 10 veterans who commit suicide are age 55 and over.</p><p>Regan said that Canada has a program for returning veterans. He said each veteran is placed in a one-month long program to reacquaint them with living as a civilian again. He said they are given training in financing, resume writing, job interviewing and social interaction.</p><p>&#8220;The program works,&#8221; Regan said.</p><p>Cartwright and Meuser said they would look into the Canadian program to see if they can present it in Congress.</p><p>&#8220;Sticking up for our veterans is a bipartisan effort,&#8221; Cartwright said. &#8220;I&#8217;m the author of a couple of bills to make more robust the VA effort to combat this plague.&#8221;</p><p>For more information, call National Suicide Prevention Lifeline/Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright speaks at a veteran suicide round table at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Plains Township on Thursday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/web1_TTL083019VA-meeting2.jpg</photo0><caption0>U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright speaks at a veteran suicide round table at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Plains Township on Thursday. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/web1_TTL083019VA-meeting3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Sen. Lisa Baker speaks during a round table discussion on veteran suicide on Thursday the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Plains Township </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/web1_TTL083019VA-meeting3.jpg</photo1><caption1>Sen. Lisa Baker speaks during a round table discussion on veteran suicide on Thursday the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Plains Township </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/web1_TTL083019VA-meeting4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser speaks on veteran suicide while Sen. Michael Reagen listens atthe Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Plains Township on Thursday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/web1_TTL083019VA-meeting4.jpg</photo2><caption2>U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser speaks on veteran suicide while Sen. Michael Reagen listens atthe Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Plains Township on Thursday. </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/web1_MICHAEL-WARGO.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Michael Wargo </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/web1_MICHAEL-WARGO.jpg</photo3><caption3>Michael Wargo </caption3><photoCredit3></photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/web1_TTL083019VA-meeting1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Sally and Michael Wargo of Mission 22 listen at a round table discussion on veteran suicide Thursday at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Plains Township. Their son died by suicide. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/web1_TTL083019VA-meeting1.jpg</photo4><caption4>Sally and Michael Wargo of Mission 22 listen at a round table discussion on veteran suicide Thursday at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Plains Township. Their son died by suicide. </caption4><photoCredit4></photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Roundtable discussion seeks ways to prevent suicides</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Roundtable discussion seeks ways to prevent veteran suicides