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Two Santa Clarita Military Brothers To Be Honored After Both Die By Suicide (VIDEO)

Being a military family can bring great honor, but it can also bring great pain.


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Within the Colley family of eight, there is a retired Air Force captain father and a disabled Air Force veteran daughter. But this Santa Clarita military family is still grappling with the deaths of two of their own.

Since 2007, the family has mourned their son Stephen’s death. He was a U.S Army veteran. And another tragedy struck in 2017 with the death of their eldest son, Alan, also an Army veteran. Both died by suicide.

“They were terrific kids,” their mother, Kathy Colley, said. “They were proudly serving in the military, following their dad’s footsteps.”

The Colley family is not alone in their mourning. According to a report by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, there are nearly 21 military suicides every day. Of those, around 17 are veterans, the report states.

According to the federal agency, approximately 6,132 veterans die by suicide every year.

Ride For 22, a nonprofit founded in 2016, is hoping to honor Stephen and Alan Colley, and help their family grieve.

The organization seeks to spread awareness about post-traumatic stress, educate the public and serve as a living memorial to provide support to the loved ones left behind after the death of a servicemember, according to the group’s website.

Ride For 22 gets their name from the 2016 statistics about veteran suicides – 22 veterans per day died by suicide that year. Volunteers ride motorcycles in various events around the country to honor fallen veterans.

“Our hope, by raising awareness and educating the public, is that we can help eliminate some of the stigma that surrounds military (post-traumatic stress) and allow for veterans to seek and receive the help and social support they so desperately need,” organization officials said.

Ride For 22 also caters to military families nationwide by participating in ride events and health expos, and providing networking opportunities for families to help each other through the grieving process.

“I think it’s quite touching that this organization is honoring these special individuals and making sure that the fallen are remembered,” Kathy Colley said.

Stephen and Alan Colley will be memorialized on shirts worn by the riders during events, and will have their photos held by some of the participants in future rides, to be seen by anybody watching the ride.

Stephen E. Colley, one of six Colley children, took his own life on May 16, 2007.

He had been deployed to Iraq with the U.S. Army and was later stationed at a base in Texas.

Related: Santa Clarita Mental Health Experts Discuss Suicide Prevention

“Being in the military, seeing and doing what needs to be done can become horrifying and the demons become insurmountable,” Ride for 22 officials said in a statement.

While serving in the U.S. Army, Stephen suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, but didn’t receive help from military resources, according to his father.

“They were both proud to serve,” said Edward Colley, their father. “But when a soldier tries to get help and doesn’t get it, he basically decided to solve his own problem.”

Ten years later, the Colley’s eldest son, Maj. Alan E. Colley, took his own life on Sept. 7, 2017.

Like his brother, Alan served in Iraq with the U.S. Army as well as in Uganda and El Salvador.

“Alan was tortured after Stephen,” Edward Colley said. “He couldn’t reach an understanding about losing his baby brother.”

Whenever Edward, a retired Air Force Captain, speaks with anybody in the military, he brings up post-traumatic stress and suicide prevention, hoping to do his part to reduce the stigma around asking for help.

He also advocates for service members who are afraid of losing jobs or clearances in the military if they reach out. The potential for losing career status is a barrier to many seeking help, Edward Colley said.

“Whenever I’m able to talk to any soldier, I tell them to try to get the help they need,” he said.

Suicide is the 10th-leading cause of death in the United States, and suicide rates in the U.S. general population have increased in recent years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Any soldier that’s in trouble, please do all that you can, because everybody wants you with us,” Kathy Colley said.

To contact the Veterans Crisis Line, veterans, service members or their families can call 1-800-273-8255. They can also text 838255 for assistance.

Anyone seeking information about mental health resources available in the Santa Clarita Valley can click here for a list of resources. There are 24-hour phone numbers available. In the event of an emergency, 911 should always be the first call. Those looking to speak with someone can call:

  • 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
  • 1-800-854-7771 for the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health
  • 1-800-784-2433 for the Treatment Advocacy Center
  • 661-259-9439 for the SCV Child & Family Center
  • 661-296-4444 for the Way Out Recovery SCV 
  • 661 212-0720 for Sharon Brubaker – Grief Recovery Specialist
  • 661-288-4800 for the Santa Clarita Valley Mental Health Center
  • 661-257-9688 for the Santa Clarita Valley Youth Project
  •  661-803-1641 for Straightening Reins, equine therapy
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Two Santa Clarita Military Brothers To Be Honored After Both Die By Suicide (VIDEO)

4 comments

  1. A tragedy or unimaginable weight for this family. I recommend anyone interested in this troubling subject to go to the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (cchr.org) and type “military” in the search for articles, television documentaries and videos from doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, investigative reporters, government officials on the link between military suicides and psych meds. No need to believe anyone; decide for yourself if there is a link and what can be done about it.

  2. My name is Brandon Mumford. Retired US Army. I did not serve with them in the Army but I went to high school with 3 of them. Capt. Colley was my ROTC instructor, his daughter was a senior when i was a freshman and Stephan and I were in the same grade. Went to ROTC camp every summer together and became good friends. He was very sweet, intelligent, caring, good looking guy. I too suffer from PTSD after my 3 deployments to Iraq/Syria. Ive tried multiple times to take my own life only to wake up in hospital. Turning to drugs and alcohol to numb the pain and then divorce. The problem is America doesn’t put value in service. We all want 5 star treatment and a safe warm home but no one wants to pay for it much less take care of the damaged. It took me almost 16 years to finally get sober, get admitted into an inpatient program at the VA and START to turn my life around. Either way i’m so sad for their loss and angry that there’s nothing I can do for my brother!

  3. Tragic…what a sad story. RIP

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About Lorena Mejia

Lorena was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. She attended California State University Northridge where she double majored in Journalism and Chicano Studies and minored in Spanish Language Journalism. While at CSUN, she worked for the university's television and radio newscast. Through her journalistic work, she earned membership to Kappa Tau Alpha, a national honor society for selected journalists. Her passion for the community has introduced her to new people, ideas, and issues that have helped shape the person she is today. Lorena’s skills include using cameras as a tool to empower people by informing them and creating change in their communities. Some of her hobbies include reading the news, exploring the outdoors, and being an avid animal lover. To contact Lorena, send your messages to lorena@hometownstation.com.