Some veterans’ wounds can’t be bandaged, X-rayed or repaired with surgery. And some wounds cut deeper and last longer than those from bullets or shrapnel.

Such is the case with vets struggling with their mental health.

As Jeff Kyle told a crowd Monday at a fundraiser in Longview for the nonprofit Operation True North, an obstacle to addressing those struggles isn’t availability of help.

It’s something even more difficult to overcome: pride.

Kyle, a Marine veteran, is the brother of late Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, whose life was the basis for the film “American Sniper.”

He spoke on the anniversary of 9/11 as part of the Patriot Day Golf Classic at the Crossing Creeks Country Club to benefit Operation True North. The Longview counseling center serves veterans, first responders and their families.

Kyle’s message to the gathered crowd should be broadcast far beyond Longview and into the homes of veterans and their families across the country.

“My brother, he was my sounding board when he was alive,” Kyle said. “In between deployments, we’d call each other and get everything off of our chest. … That was our counseling.”

He said when Chris Kyle was killed in 2013 by another veteran his brother was intending to help, he “lost his counseling.”

“I was one of those that, I came home with all four limbs that I went over there with, so I was too proud,” he said. “I didn’t need any help. I figured, ‘Well, I’m screwed up. Now, I’m just like the rest of us. So, I’m just going to find my way and deal with it.’ Well, that wasn’t the right way to go about it.”

Ultimately, Kyle said he came to a life-changing conclusion: “I finally sucked it up and said, ‘I need help.’ So, suck it up. You’re not too proud. Get help if you need help.”

Kyle’s advice should be taken in light of the sobering reality of veteran suicides — a burgeoning national crisis.

From usu.org: “Suicide rates among active-duty military members are currently at an all-time high since record-keeping began after 9/11 and have been increasing over the past five years at an alarmingly steady pace.

“In fact, some branches of the Armed Forces are experiencing the highest rate of suicides since before World War II. In 2021, research found that 30,177 active duty personnel and veterans who served in the military after 9/11 have died by suicide — compared to the 7,057 service members killed in combat in those same 20 years. That is, military suicide rates are four times higher than deaths that occurred during military operations.”

In addition, veterans are at a 57% higher risk of suicide than those who haven’t served, and suicide is the second-leading cause of death in vets younger than 45, according to stopsoldiersuicide.org .

While facts and statistics can tell a story, they don’t illustrate the real costs of veteran suicides. Those costs are seen in the families, friends and other loved ones left behind to mourn.

As National Suicide Prevention Week comes to a close, Jeff Kyle’s lament is the wake-up call our nation needs:

“I’m tired of losing brothers. I’m tired of seeing flag-draped coffins.”