Fallen Marine's friends holding 'Silent Watch' event in his honor

Gaven Smith, a veteran of the Marine Corps, was known for his commitment and dedication to helping others. Ten months after he died by suicide, his friends are gathering the Findlay community in his memory, hoping to raise awareness and help other veterans in need. Findlay's first Silent Watch will be held from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 29 in front of the Hancock County Courthouse. Opening ceremonies will be at 7 a.m. and closing ceremonies at 5 p.m. Every day, around 22 veterans die by suicide — a loss every 65 minutes. To raise awareness, community members are asked to stand silently for 22 minutes in "Silent Watch" to raise awareness for posttraumatic stress disorder. The event is being organized by Allen-Kramp Wealth Management "in honor of Gaven Smith and his fellow fallen," a press release states. Titus Allen and Rodney Kramp, founders of Allen-Kramp, knew Smith when all three worked at Fifth Third Bank. Allen said Smith was their first hire, around 2012. He described his friend as a "great guy" who had served multiple tours in Afghanistan. "He was very caring, and he was committed to helping people," Kramp said. He said Smith was one of the young people who joined the military shortly after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, feeling a need to do something. Smith didn't share specifics of his time in the service, Kramp said, but they got the sense that he had been through some difficult things. "He committed his whole life to serving," Kramp said, noting that Smith was active with many charities after leaving the military. Allen said Smith was always "very generous" — quick to reach for the check when out with a group, and eager to help Allen and Kramp when they were moving into their new building. Helping children was especially important to him, Nicole Wagner, investment executive at Allen-Kramp, said of smith. In addition to many charities in the Perrysburg area, he was active with Hancock County organizations including Children's Mentoring Connection, Flag City Honor Flight and Hope House, and devoted time to Wreaths Across America. Allen and Kramp formed their own business in 2017. Smith remained at Fifth Third, but they stayed friends. Allen said they'd talk on the phone. Allen knew his friend had been struggling, but had thought he was doing better, just before his death. Allen said people aren't aware that 22 veterans die by suicide each day. And he said that, before this happened, he wasn't aware, either. "As a society, we do not do enough to recognize and acknowledge people that give everything," Allen said. Allen said his perspective changed, and he realized that it is an injury — that veterans left their service having been "mentally hurt." "As a society, we tend to say to suck it up," he said. But "it's not weakness — they're broke." What is Silent Watch? A veteran from Ashland, Ohio created Silent Watch. The idea is that, just as a soldier will stand watch, participants in this event literally "stand watch" to raise awareness of veterans suicide. More information is at silentwatch.org Leah Cook, director of client experience at Allen-Kramp, said early on in planning the event, a couple people reached out to volunteer who had been personally affected by the issue. Anyone wanting to get involved can email her at leah@allen-kramp.com or simply show up the day of the event. Cook said they want to make people aware of signs and symptoms, as well as resources for veterans and their families. The issue at hand Ed Newton, resiliency operations manager at the Hancock County Veterans Services Office, said he has attended several events related to suicide, and has come to realize that what veterans die of is, in essence, anxiety and depression and guilt, "all treatable things." He encourages people to seek out help adding, "it's very effective." Nichole Coleman, executive director of the veterans service office, said getting involved in its programs can help veterans feel connected and give them a sense of purpose. Both veterans and non-veterans "need to feel needed," she said. She said just over 4,700 veterans reside in Hancock County, and the community as a whole should know that veterans are at a higher risk of suicide. She said if someone does show signs of suicidal thoughts, or a sense of helplessness, "that's when you want to start asking those questions." Experts recommend that concerned loved ones ask directly if a person is thinking of suicide. But, Coleman said, if you aren't comfortable asking that, you might ask more general questions, such as "Are you feeling hopeless?" If that is the case, "then they need someone to help them find hope," she said. The veterans service office can be a resource. For more information, visit https://hancockveterans.com/ or call 419-424-7036. Coleman said her office had wanted to do something like Silent Watch for several years. "I was incredibly grateful," Coleman said, when she heard Allen-Kramp was organizing the event. Smith was a client of the veterans service office, and a friend of Coleman's. She said he wasn't the first veteran who died by suicide since she has been in this position, but was "the first one that I knew really well." Isolation became "a norm" once the pandemic began, and has remained so, which has increased suicidal ideation for many people, she said. She wants to remind people that they need connections. "There are a lot of types of animals that live in packs … and humans are made to be the same way," she said. Veterans, in particular, feel strong connections with those they served with, "and then when we get out of the military, we feel lost," she said. She encouraged the public to have the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline saved in their phones. The number is 988. And if you're worried about someone else, you too can make the call on their behalf, Coleman said. Gaven Smith Smith, a resident of Perrysburg who had worked for many years in Findlay, died in November 2021, at age 39. His obituary states that, during nearly four years of active-duty service, he was deployed overseas in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Smith himself is quoted in the obituary, reflecting on his own military service: "Every day I remember … to the families that lost a loved one I remember. I've met and served next to some of the greatest individuals I have ever met. I'm not perfect, and far from it, God's grace gives us that, and the American soldier protects it.'"