STOCKTON — September is Suicide Prevention Month, and it is a time to reflect and honor those struggling.
Nearly two decades later, there is a hurt that still haunts one Stockton veteran who is a Purple Heart recipient. He says mental health needs to be prioritized for everyone, and not just now but daily.
Niko McPherson recalls that fateful day in Iraq 18 years ago like it was yesterday. His army platoon was assigned to route clearance along a road in Ramadi.
“We would have to dismantle the explosives,” he said. “Sometimes there would be a lot of them and we had to deviate them to take them to a safe location to disarm them.”
A photograph shows McPherson with his unit before they headed out. Hours later, his life would change forever.
“Everything went dark. Waking up, it was up to me to find my way out of an RG-31 armored vehicle that was upside down and split in half,” he said. “I had to find a way to get out through a small hole with all my gear on to go and save the rest of the lives.”