American flags will line the Limestone County Courthouse lawn throughout September, each one representing an Alabama veteran who died by suicide.
Veterans, family members and local officials gathered Thursday morning in downtown Athens to open Operation We Remember, an annual campaign meant to honor those veterans and remind others that help is available.
The Limestone County Veterans Service Office in partnership with the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs hosted the ceremony, which began at 10 a.m.
This year, the campaign is honoring 150 Alabama veterans who died by suicide between October 2024 and October 2025.
Thursday’s program included an opening prayer, remarks from Athens Mayor Ronnie Marks and Limestone County Commission Chairman Collin Daly, a time of remembrance and a closing prayer.
Operation We Remember is held each September during National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Communities across Alabama have taken part in the effort in recent years, putting out one American flag for each veteran lost during the most recent reporting period.
The campaign is a joint effort involving the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs and the Alabama Department of Mental Health.
For those organizing the event in Limestone County, Thursday was not just about looking back.
They also want veterans who are having a hard time to know where they can turn.
That message has become an important part of the September campaign as officials continue to confront the number of veterans lost to suicide. Recent national figures have placed veteran suicides at roughly 17 to 18 deaths each day.
Alabama officials have said veterans account for a disproportionate share of suicide deaths in the state.
The Athens ceremony was brief, but organizers said that was intentional. The goal was to bring the issue into the open, honor the 150 veterans represented by this year’s campaign and remind others that they do not have to face a crisis alone.
Operation We Remember will continue throughout September.
Zachary Austin is a writer for 256 Today. You can contact him at [email protected].
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