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WEBVTT PTHAT CAN MAKE ALL OF THE PDIFFERENCE. PBILL DIAZ: FOR MANY OF US, WE'D PRATHER DIE THAN ASK FOR HELP. PRENEE: BILL DIAZ OF BURLINGTON PSAYS HE'S ON A MISSION. PHELPING FELLOW VETERANS IN PCRISIS. PAS A SUICIDE-ATTEMPT SURVIVOR, PHE SAYS HE'S BEEN THERE. PBILL DIAZ: AND I'M SITTING PTHERE, AND I'M GETTING READY, PI'M GETTING READY. PAND THE PHONE RINGS. PTHE PHONE RINGS. PAND I'M SITTING HERE WITH A GUN PIN MY MOUTH, AND I'M SAYING, "I PWONDER WHO'S ON THE PHONE?" PAND AT THAT MOMENT, I REALIZED I PDIDN'T WANT TO DI PI WANTED TO ANSWER THE -- PHONE. PI DIDN'T WANT TO DIE. PRENEE: AFTER THAT EXPERIENCE, HE PPUT THIS AD IN VERMONT'S SEVEN PDAY'S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER, LETTING PVETERANS KNOW THEY CAN CALL OR PEMAIL HIM ANYTIME. PBILL DIAZ: I BELIEVE THAT MY PSURVIVAL OF THAT EXPERIENCE PGIVES ME A UNIQUE RESPONSIBILITY PTO COMBAT THAT PARTICULAR ENEM PRENEE: DIAZ WAS ALSO MOTIVATED PBY AN AUGUST REPORT BY THE U.S. PDEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. PIT STATES THAT, IN 2014, AN PAVERAGE OF 20 VETERANS ENDED PTHEIR LIVES EACH DAY PBILL DIAZ: VETERANS HAVE A PHIGHER RATE OF SUICIDE THAN PCIVILIANS, EITHER MALE, WHICH IS PBLUE, OR FEMALE, WHICH IS IN THE PRE PRENEE: DIAZ ALSO NOTICED ANOTHER PTROUBLING CORRELATIO PBILL DIAZ: A FIVE TIMES INCREASE PBETWEEN THE CIVILIAN POPULATION PAND THE YOUNGEST POPULATION OF PVETERA. PAND ALL THEY'VE DONE IS SERVED PIN UNIFORM AND BEEN DISCHARGED PFROM THE MILITARY. PTHAT'S ALL THEY'VE DONE. PAND THAT'S ENOUGH TO COST, PALMOST IN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE, PMORE OF THEM THEIR LIVES. PSOMETHING'S WRONG. PRENEE: DIAZ SAYS HE THINKS THERE PARE TWO POSSIBLE WAYS TO BEST PHELP VETERANS STRUGGLING WITH PDEPRESSION, PTSD, OR ANY VARIETY POF MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES. PDIRECT ENTRY INTO TO THE V.A. PHEALTH SYSTEM AND TALKING WITH POTHERS WILLING TO LISTEN, LIKE PBILL DIAZ. PBILL DIAZ: CALL ME, CONTACT ME. PIF YOU JUST WANT SOMEONE TO

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Bill Diaz, of Burlington, says he's on a mission to help fellow veterans in crisis. As a suicide-attempt survivor, he said he's been there. "For many of us, we'd rather die than ask for help,” veteran Bill Diaz said. "And I'm sitting there, and I'm getting ready, I'm getting ready, and the phone rings! And I'm sitting here with a gun in my mouth and I'm saying, I wonder who's on the phone? And at that moment I realized I didn't want to die. I wanted to answer the phone. I didn't want to die." After that experience, he put an ad in Vermont's Seven Day's weekly newspaper, letting veterans know they can call or email him anytime. "I believe that my survival of that experience gives me a unique responsibility to combat that particular enemy,” he said. Diaz was also motivated by an August report by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. It states that, in 2014, an average of 20 veterans ended their lives each day. Diaz also noticed another troubling correlation. "A five times rate increase between the civilian population and the youngest population of veterans,” he said. “And all they've done is served in uniform and been discharged from the military. That's all they've done. And that's enough to cost, almost in order of magnitude, more of them their lives. Something's wrong." Diaz says he thinks there are two possible ways to best help veterans struggling with depression, PTSD, or any variety of mental health challenges: direct entry into to the VA health system and talking with others willing to listen. "Call me, contact me,” said Diaz. “Even if you just want someone to watch you watch a football game, call me." HELP IS AVAILABLE - MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - VeteransCrisisLine.net 1-800-273-8255, then press 1 or CLICK HERE to find more resources near you