NEWTON - With three American flags hoisted toward the blue skies above, a pleasant breeze rippling Old Glory, 15 people, many of whom have served in the U.S. military, marched their way across Newton to raise awareness of the mental health issues veterans face.

An estimated 22 military veterans die by suicide a day, according to widely cited data by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The figure was the impetus behind the non-profit organization, Ma Deuce Deuce, a veteran advocacy based in Toms River that holds various campaigns and fundraising activities to raise awareness and funds for mental health treatment for veterans.

Rachael Gullette, of Stillwater, and Jocelyn Ackerman, whose husband, Steven Ackerman, is the commander of the Newton VFW Post 5360, wanted to raise awareness of the issues plaguing veterans by holding their first Veterans Suicide Awareness Ruck March in Sussex County.

While Ackerman takes part in “rucks” locally with a few people, she wanted to bring together a larger group to raise awareness and funds for Ma Deuce Deuce.

“(Rucks) are up-and-coming up here,” said Ackerman. “Mental injury is so masked by people trying to come back and transition into civilian (life), if you don’t see the disability you don’t really believe or understand that it is there.”

Representing various branches of the military as veterans and active duty members, 15 marchers each donated $20 to the cause as they walked their way across Newton Saturday morning, stopping five miles into the six-mile march at the Newton Green.

Marchers carried weighted backpacks, some just able to carry water and others, like Ackerman, carrying up to 40 and 50 pounds of weight, to signify the “weight of mental illness,” Ackerman said. After placing American flags in front of each “military bed” representing each branch of the service on the Newton Green, each marcher completed 22 push-ups, another reminder of the 22 lives lost each day to suicide.

After taking a few photos, the group paraded back onto their route, finishing their last mile before ending at the Newton VFW Post 5360.

While Ackerman may not have served in the military, several members of her family did: Her husband is a combat veteran, her grandfathers were both in World War II, her uncle was in the Navy during Vietnam, her brother is a combat veteran and her son is an Army veteran.

“Today was like a trial run for us, an introduction to the community,” Ackerman said, adding, “For the community to see us out here and to start asking what we are doing and why we are doing it.”

Gullette, who has a son serving in the military and a daughter who will be soon, said Saturday was a reminder of the lives lost each day to suicide, a number that she says is closer to 23 per day, or 8,000 veterans a year.

“That’s a loss of life, it’s horrible,” she said. “That is what today (Saturday) is all about. Having people commit and do something amazing for their country.”

In a report released in September by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, over 60,000 veterans died by suicide between 2008 and 2017.

The National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report found the total population of veterans declined by 18 percent during that span of years, 6,000 veterans died by suicide annually.

Saturday’s event was held just days after U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer met with about a dozen American Legion representatives to brief them on steps he plans to take to address the mental health needs of veterans in Sussex and Warren counties.

Several issues were raised including insufficient psychiatric and mental health services in VA outpatient clinics in Newton, which currently staffs in-person psychiatric and mental health services twice a month, and on other days, access to a “virtual” mental health counselor by telemonitor.

The Newton VA Outpatient Clinic, located at 222 High St. in Newton, is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. by appointment.

Newton Medical Center offers the True North arrow icon program, which provides clinical services to veterans and their families in Sussex and Morris counties and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI, offers a free post-traumatic stress connection support group, led by trained veterans and first responders.

For more information about the services offered to veterans in Sussex County, visit https://www.sussex.nj.us/cn/webpage.cfm?tpid=16391.

For immediate, confidential, 24/7 services, contact the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255.

Lori Comstock can also be reached on Twitter: @LoriComstockNJH, on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/LoriComstockNJH or by phone: 973-383-1194