Mississippi vets 'Ride for 22'

 TUPELO , Miss. - While Sept. 22 may seem like  another day for most people, but it’s now one of purpose and service for Dan Johnson of Tupelo and others within the state involved with veterans’ organizations. Johnson was among a dozen Mississippi vets that participated in the inaugural 'Ride for 22' on Tuesday beginning and ending at Veterans Memorial Park. The group traveled by motorcycle from Jackson to Birmingham, Ala., and to Tupelo on Interstate 22. The event seeks to raise awareness to the number of active duty members of the military, reservists, national guardsmen and veterans who die from suicide. The date itself is symbolic. September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and around 22 people connected with the military die from suicide daily. While Johnson is a veteran, educating people about those statistics among military members is also something personal A few years ago, Johnson’s son, Justin, died from suicide after serving two tours in the military. “I then became involved in trying to understand what was going on in the military about military suicide,” Johnson said. (Source: Daily Journal 09/22/20) https://www.djournal.com/news/local/mississippi-veterans-ride-to-raise-awareness-of-military-suicide-rates/article_1eaee32f-ebbb-50f7-b31a-8e3a7b668466.html