Joint Operation Mariposa brings awareness to suicide prevention
Hundreds of U.S. flags adorned “The Greenway” in Plains. They were placed there by Ed Foste and others involved with Joint Operation Mariposa to bring awareness to the issue of military veterans suicide. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)
For 30 days in a row, Ed Foste placed 22 American flags in the manicured lawn locally known as "The Greenway" which is Montana Rail Link property but generously shared with the community of Plains.
Each evening at sunset, Foste was alone or with others, but the planting took place for the month of September when the display was completed tallying 660 flags in two squared off sections resembling markers at a cemetery, which was Foste’s purpose.
Twenty-two veterans take their lives by suicide every day in the United States and September was National Suicide Prevention Month.
Montana ranks one of the highest per capita for suicide in the nation along with one of the highest per capita of veterans.
Foste’s little brother, a former member of the Army’s esteemed unit of the 82nd Airborne, took his life by suicide.
“That’s the reason I do this each year,” he said. “He completed suicide July 17th in 2014. He was awesome, though.”
This is a tribute to not only his brother, but to all of the families of those that have also taken their lives leaving loved ones behind.
These are the Green Stripe Families and honored with a green stripe on the American flag, much like the Back the Blue for honoring law enforcement.
Their pain is gone, says Fostse of the suicide victims, “But their families got all of that pain now. Because they’re gone. And think about a family; it could be 4 or 5 people to hundreds. And then the community becomes involved and all of the people they met throughout their life. So many are touched by the loss of that life.”
Suicide is still considered shameful in many circles. People, especially family members, do not want to talk about it. It’s not often in obituaries because of embarrassment, but it needs to be so that the realization of how prevalent suicide is in our country.
“I call this ‘Awe and shock,’” Foste said as he nods toward the flag display. “It’s the reverse of the operation in Iraq of ‘Shock and Awe.’ Awe, it is so beautiful and then when you talk to them about what it represents, the ‘awe’ becomes ‘Shock.’”
Foste, who will be 60 the at the end of this year, has lived in Plains for 20 years. He grew up in a small town in Colorado and retired from the U.S. Navy after 20 years working on EA-6B Prowlers out of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington.
David Williams, also of Plains, is his brother-in-law and they were stationed together.
“We’ve been best friends for over 40 years," Foste said with a smile.
Williams is the founder of Joint Operation Mariposa, which is a veteran’s nonprofit organization in Sanders County that helps veterans adjust to civilian life after the military.
“We have 22 counselors in Sanders County and none of them are trained to work with veterans with PTSD,” Foste said. “House Resolution Bill 5036 is hoping to change that. It was introduced last month by congressman Van Drew of New Jersey.”
The Green Stripe Families of America is a one-year-old organization. There is no counseling assistance from the VA for Green Stripe Families and Foste is hopeful that this will change soon.