Canandaigua, New York (CNN) -- Suicide continues
to plague the American military, with an estimated 18 war veterans in the
United States ending their lives each day. One of the last resorts for veterans
struggling with the return to civilian life is a suicide-prevention hot line
based in upstate New York.
The humble offices of the Veterans Crisis Line in
Canandaigua, New York, are like any other office space: desks, computers,
telephones. But as you walk past each cubicle, you begin to hear
extraordinarily disturbing conversations.
"I have a .45 pointed at my head," one caller
says.
"Can you put that knife away for a bit while we talk?
Can you do that for me? Can you hold off just for a little bit?" a hot
line worker asks.
"What sort of weapons do you have?" another calmly
responds.
The men and women who answer the Veterans Crisis Line phones
are on the front lines of an all-out war on suicide. Each speaks to the caller
with a very clear purpose: keep the person on the phone long enough to get help.
By Christina Ginn
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