Stark exhibit highlights soldier suicide

By CAROLYN SZCZEPANSKI

In contrast to the parades, poetry readings and laying of wreaths commemorating Veterans Day around the metro, a small, somber group gathered yesterday in a dim lounge at Avila University to call attention to soldier suicide.

“The War Within: The Veteran Suicide Epidemic” included an exhibit that gave stark representation to the number of Missouri and Kansas residents who have taken their own lives after returning from service in Iraq or Afghanistan. And a panel of experts and veterans gave voice to the hardships soldiers face in a military culture that often shuns mental illness as a sign of weakness.