Filmmaker & US Navy Veteran Howard Kuker: Producer/Writer of “22 a Day No Way”

“Every day approximately 22 American veterans commit suicide, totaling over 8,000 veteran suicides each year — I repeat, 8,000 veteran suicides each year,” stated Arizona Senator John McCain during a Senate hearing on Feb. 3, 2015. Lawmakers unanimously passed the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act which aims to improve mental-health and suicide-prevention services at the Department of Veterans Affairs. It is named after a former Marine sniper who committed suicide in March 2011 after struggling to receive mental-health care at the Houston Veterans Affairs medical center. It’s a good start but there's much more that needs to be done, a fact that US Navy and Vietnam Veteran Howard Kuker took note of and decided to act upon. His film, 22 a Day No Way, was an entry in the Garden State Film Festival and is a powerful and emotional call to action to greatly slow down veteran suicide. Says Kuker, “22 Vets are committing suicide daily. This is not acceptable. I need America's support to stop this national tragedy.” The film was produced, written, and narrated by Kuker and underscores the tragedy of underserved US vets who are struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which often leads to suicide. Watch the short film here. This is Part 2 of my Filmmakers Series about Filmmakers I met at the 2016 Garden State Film Festival. After the interview, please check After Hours at Jersey Coastal Live for more information.