KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The last stop for troops before they are laid to rest is often the Knox County Regional Forensic Center, and a gatekeeper there is now seeing fellow soldiers end up on the autopsy table after they have taken their own lives.
“Probably three dozen at least in the five years I’ve been here,” said Chris Thomas, the center's Chief Administrative Officer. “Five of those are soldiers that I knew and served with."
The latest number from the Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 17 military veterans take their own lives every day in the U.S. Around 20 years ago, the veteran soldier deployed with the Tennessee National Guard’s 278th Armored Calvary Regiment to the war in Iraq.
“In total, we lost ten soldiers that year and a half that we were there. Five of them were on or near the base that I was at,” said Thomas.
Overseas soldiers understood the risk, but it wasn’t until Thomas started seeing soldiers take their own lives back home that he understood the depth of the crisis.
“Every time another soldier takes their life, you (think), you know, 'Where did I miss this gap?'” said Thomas.
He is now redoubling his efforts to encourage fellow veterans to reconnect with the people they served with both at home and overseas. Chris Thomas said he has already attended too many funerals of soldiers who either died from drug overdoses or taken their own life with a firearm.
“Find other soldiers to talk, tell them to find me, call me — call anybody. You're not saving anyone from a burden by taking your own life and removing yourself from the picture," he said.
In addition to our on-camera interview, Chris Thomas took time to answer the following ten questions about the impact his military service had on his life.
What one person influenced you most in life?
I know its cliché but id have to say Jesus. Regardless of what was going on around him he always kept a good attitude. He was a servant leader who took care of those under him and was always offering good advice. He cared about others more than himself.
If its someone I met I would have to say Gig Painter. He was a banker I worked with that passed away many years ago. At his funeral many people spoke of his work with many nonprofits and all the boards he was on. His family said they didn’t realize all that because he was an attentive father and a good husband that never neglected his family for work. I was young and trying to climb a corporate ladder. That day I realized what was most important and that it was my family. I want to be remembered for being a father and husband more than any awards and still be able to contribute to my community.
Do you feel honored and respected for serving your country?
I absolutely do. Sometimes I feel like I don’t deserve to be honored especially when compared to many of the soldiers I served with that did so much more than I did. I do believe most of my peers respect me due to my service.
How can people thank you for your service?
I don’t need or want individual thanks. You can show your thanks just by doing something in your business or community that honors all veterans and never lets them be forgotten.
How do you honor your fellow servicemen and women?
I have become heavily involved in our indigent veterans. Working alongside Jeff Berry with Berry’s Funeral Home I get to take part in an annual ceremony that honors and pays final respects to men and women of all branches of service that have fallen on hard times after their honorable service and passed away. It’s a great honor to stand by those Veterans and be their family in the end and to see them get the ceremony they deserve.
How do you think this generation of military men and women is different or similar to yours?
I’m still proud of every generation of soldiers both before and after me. I think many join for financial or monetary reasons but as long as the culture remains true in their training, they will become dedicated to self-sacrifice as those before them.
What influence did your military service have on the rest of your life?
I would not be where I am today without the military. The discipline alone probably kept me from making many bad choices in life. I am able to find joy in most everything in life because of my military service and deployment. I know what a great country we live in and how extremely blessed we are ever day.
Does your family have a history of military service?
Both of my grandfathers served in WWII and Korea and I had an uncle in Vietnam. They never talked much about their service but once I joined they began telling me more stories about their wartime.
Would you encourage younger generations in your family to join the service?
Absolutely, The younger generation needs to learn about sacrifice, endurance, patience, and being part of something greater than yourself. The military instills those core values in you that will help you in any area of life.
How has your opinion of war changed?
In my youth I was anti-war all around. After my deployment I understood that it is sometimes necessary. Regardless of what many people think was and was not the reason for the war, I know we helped many villages and families that had been living under oppression for many years. All that is needed for evil to persevere is for good men to do nothing.
How did your military experience shape your religious faith?
I had a strong spiritual upbringing which I think helped me during struggles oversees. I actually decided to be re-baptized in Iraq. I have seen the hand of God at work in many peoples lives and nothing can take that away from me. Knowing what God has brought me through, and how he used the military to strengthen my faith, has helped me talk to other soldiers who have struggled with substance abuse and anger issues.