Scott DeLuzio 00:00:00 Thanks for tuning into the Drive On Podcast where we’re focused on giving hope and strength to the entire military community, whether you’re a veteran, active duty, guard reserve, or family member, this podcast, will share inspirational stories and resources that are useful to you. I’m your host, Scott Lucio. And now, let’s get on with the show. Everybody. Welcome back to the Drive On Podcast today. My guest is Christopher abuse. Christopher started the Storytime project as a way to check in on fellow veterans and help prevent veteran suicide. So welcome to the show. Christopher, why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?
Christopher Labeause 00:00:39 My name is Christopher LaBeause. I’m a Sergeant first class in the United States Army. Been in about 13 years now, a little over 13 years and, yeah, to about two years ago now me and my wife, founded the Storytime Project to prevent veteran suicide and be more proactive because we realized there was enough of the awareness being brought, but less of the prevention. So we came up with story time after, one of my soldiers, the actually the six soldiers to commit suicide that I’ve had and that 13 years, Justin’s story, after he committed suicide. We came up with, the practice and then it just kind of started taking off from there.
Scott DeLuzio 00:01:25 Yeah, so I mean, I mean, unfortunately, sometimes great things come from bad situations. I feel strange saying that this is a great thing because, ideally, we wouldn’t live in a world where things like this would be necessary, but what we do. And so, what you’re doing, that to help prevent veteran suicide I think is a great thing. What was the idea behind the Storytime project? After there was this loss and everything, what made you think that this was a good idea, and what kind of led it to where it is today?
Christopher Labeause 00:02:16 I had a medic on my second deployment. , He joined the army when he was 17 years old deployed when he was 18. And he ended up committing suicide when he was 21. doc NATO was his name, and he was just an outstanding guy, and it hit me really hard. And I racked my brain trying to figure out how to prevent this. How to prevent veteran suicide. And I just couldn’t come up with anything at the time. And then, because it was ridiculous. I did the day I found out the next day I did 22 pushups every hour on the hour for 24 hours. And isn’t going to bring them back. This isn’t really preventing anything.
Christopher Labeause 00:03:08 Then, years go on, and I, myself, actually ended up after my fourth deployment and being admitted into a behavioral health hospital. And I was terrified. I remember I CA I, it was, it was me and my ex-wife were having issues because I just stepped back from the deployment and we’d already been gone. We were already divorced at this time, and I kinda got back through the deployment, curled up into a little bottle. And one of my buddies, a really good friend, was another squad leader with me. He picked up on the signs, realized what was going down, came over to my house, and wouldn’t leave me alone. And we went, I ended up calling the MPS, the MPS came over, and it was one thing after the other, the next thing I’m in a hospital in the ER portion of the hospital on Fort Polk.
Christopher Labeause 00:04:01 And this major comes in, and she comes in, and I’m sitting here thinking to myself, I’m like, all right, Chris, man, you can bullshit your way out of this, And then you can just go live...
