Connecticut Military Suicide Awareness and Remembrance Day
The day is dedicated to honoring veterans and military members lost to suicide, raising awareness of mental health challenges among veterans and military members, and raising awareness of available resources and support systems.
“We are here today to remember those that we’ve lost, raise awareness, and make sure that every veteran knows that they are not alone,” said State Rep. Rebecca Martinez, who helped champion the creation of this day. “[In 2025] Governor Lamont issued a proclamation recognizing September 30th, but a proclamation lasts just for a day, we wanted a commitment that would last year-after-year, so we wrote that commitment into law.”
State leaders, to include Gov. Lamont, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Ron Welch, Maj. Gen. Francis J. Evon Jr., the adjutant general for the Connecticut National Guard, as well as other lawmakers, observed the day of awareness by holding a press conference at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, Sept. 30, 2026.
“When I took over this chairmanship, I was very nervous about days and symbols because when you pass legislation that is in-and-of-itself a day or a symbol without a concurrent plan to make change, there leaves a lot of room for improvement,” said State Rep. Jaime Foster, House chair of the veterans and military affairs committee. “But what I’ve learned … is that sometimes those symbols carry weight on their own; sometimes those symbols give a sense of community together in a public that wouldn’t always exist otherwise. But when it comes to an issue like this, getting folks help where they need it means that those symbols need to be in their communities when they need it and that the people who might lend a hand to help have the tools and resources to help.”
The effort to officially establish Military Suicide Awareness and Remembrance Day was inspired by friends and family of U.S. Army Command Sergeant Maj. Gary F. Sirois, a Plainville, Connecticut resident, who lost his life to suicide on March 1, 2023, at the age of 54.
Sirois served more than 20 years in the United States Army and Army Reserve and was a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“One of the things I’ve learned as a Soldier, and what I know my colleagues here behind me understand, is that the weight of service doesn’t come off when your uniform does,” said State Rep. Hubert Delaney, vice-chairman of the veterans and military affairs committee and a member of the Army Reserve. “It follows your home and it shows up in everything—your health, your family, your finances, your sense of identity, they’re all effected.”
“And when it comes to accomplishing the mission, Soldiers were taught from the beginning to look out for the person to our left and to look out for the person to our right,” added Delaney. “We’re told that asking for help when you need it is part of accomplishing that mission and that taking care of people is a part of effective combat lethality. But what my colleagues and I … understand and believe is that that mentality doesn’t just apply to mission readiness, it applies to the health and welfare of our veterans and their families.”
On Military Suicide Awareness and Remembrance Day, communities, businesses, and citizens around the state are being encouraged to display a single green light on the evening of September 30, to show veterans who may be struggling with their mental health that they’re not alone and that the people around them support them.
“What we hope that what comes next is if you find that resources are inadequate or lacking, that you know you have a room full of leaders who want to make those resources better equipped, better staffed, better resourced, so that we don’t stand here adding another name to this list … and then some day we can make sure that every veteran who needs help gets it when they need it,” said Foster.
If you’re a veteran who’s struggling with suicidal thoughts, call the 27/7 veterans crisis line by dialing 988 then pressing 1. You can also text them at 838255.
You are not alone.
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