IRON MOUNTAIN — One of the most volatile, deadly and bloodiest campaigns during the war in Afghanistan was the Battle for Sangin. In October 2010, the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines Regiment, Marines, (3/5) ­– almost 1,000 enlisted personal and officers, fully trained and combat tested — arrived in Sangin District in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan. They called themselves the “Darkhorse Battalion.” They would relieve the 3/7 Marines and the British who were leaving. The British had been there for four years, but could only fight the Taliban to a stalemate. The mission was simply stated and clear, “Eliminate the Taliban as a threat.”

Little did the 3/5 know that things would escalate quickly and become extremely deadly for the whole regiment. As the Marines would patrol the maze of narrow, dirt roads bordered by 15-foot mud walls, they would be ambushed by the Taliban, who had stockpiled weapons. The Taliban would drill holes in the mud walls and shoot at the Marines. As a result, the Marines would participate in more than 100 firefights in the first three weeks after their arrival.

But the deadliest problem the Marines would encounter would be the IED threat. These are Improvised Explosive Devices that would be hidden everywhere. In a two-day period, the 3/5 lost seven Marines and by the end of that week another one had been killed. They were everywhere, and the Marines just didn’t know where they were hidden. The Taliban was able to hide new ones almost as soon as one would explode. There were so many that almost every day someone was getting killed or losing a limb. The Battalion commanders cautioned everyone to be extremely careful on patrols. They did training exercises where they buried mock IEDs and practiced finding them. They did everything they could to control the bloodshed. But by the end of their seven-month deployment, the Battalion lost 25 Marines, 184 were wounded with 34 of them losing at least one limb. They had the highest casualty rate of any Marine unit in the war at that time.

The Defense Secretary wanted to pull the Marines out of Sangin for a while. The General said absolutely not, it would break the spirit of that battalion. So instead of pulling the Darkhorse Battalion out, the Marines sent in hundreds of more Marines, and finally, the much-needed mine-clearing equipment, which would save the lives of so many Marines during that deployment. Within several months the 3/5 Marines had begun to see a decrease in fighting and a return to normal life for the villagers, the daily markets opened up and the children of the area could be seen out in the streets playing again.

Many of the 3/5 would describe their time in Sangin as the Wild West. It was lawless, bloody, uncontrolled and the terrain was brutal. The way of life was like going back to the early days of the western migration in America. People use animals for transporting their goods and traveling from village to village.

This story is just one of many such stories that our military men and women endured during the Gulf War. These types of events — and many other events — can and have led many of our veterans to be diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, and have led to the extraordinary large number of veteran suicides that have destroyed so many families over the past 20 or more years.

If you are a veteran and experiencing thoughts of harming yourself or others know that there are many services available for you. Remember it is not weakness to ask for help, it takes strength to make that call. For our families, friends and co-workers of veterans, please let them know that you are available to help them and watch for signs of mental health issues. It is up to all of us to support and encourage our loved ones to get help for any issues they may have trouble dealing with on their own.

Call the national 988 suicide and crisis lifeline number then hit 1 if you are a veteran. The Oscar G. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Iron Mountain is available to work with veterans in crisis. If necessary, dialing 911 will help get emergency and law enforcement services to your location within minutes. Please be safe and stay strong.

Upcoming events:

— April 30: Norway American Legion Post 145 all-you-can-eat breakfast, 8 to 11 a.m., hall on Main Street in Norway.

— May 2: Dickinson County Veterans Affairs Board meeting, 8 a.m., at the Uren-Cooper-Johnson American Legion Post 50 on River Street in Iron Mountain. The public is invited.

­–May 14: On Mother’s Day, treat your mom to a great breakfast at the Uren-Cooper-Johnson American Legion Post 50. The all-you-can-eat breakfast will be served from 8 to 11 a.m. in the hall on River Avenue in Iron Mountain.

— May 28: Norway American Legion Post 145 all-you-can-eat breakfast, 8 to 11 a.m., hall on Main Street in Norway.

— May 29: Dickinson County Memorial Day program will kick off with the parade at 8:45 a.m. and the main program starting at 9 a.m. The event will again take place at the Dickinson County Courthouse.

— June 1: Last day to enter your nomination for Veteran Of The Year.

— July 29: Save the date: Dickinson County Veteran Affairs Veteran Appreciation Picnic for all Dickinson County veterans and their families. It’s a day of food, music and fun. We are looking forward to seeing all of our county veterans.