Ornery Vets Cafe brings awareness to Veterans’ mental health

If you are or know a veteran struggling with mental illness, they can contact the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255, text 838255 or go to veteranscrisisline.net. 

Every day, 20 United States veterans die by suicide. 

That was the fact Joel Laufman used to start off this year’s Veterans Day ceremony. Laufman, board president of Ornery Vets Cafe, and others representing Ornery Vets marched in the parade and sat behind the podium at the ceremony with a banner that read “20 A Day. Stop Veteran Suicide!”

“20 a day might be because so many are already dead, and there aren’t as many available to suicide,” Laufman said, explaining that the average would be higher otherwise. 

Joel Laufman and others representing the Ornery Vets Cafe march in the Veterans Day Parade on Nov. 11 with a banner that reads “20 A Day. Stop Veteran Suicide!” Photo by Emily Crebs.

According to the 2021 National Veteran Suicide Prevention annual report published by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 6,261 veterans died by suicide in 2019, which accounts for 13.7% of deaths by suicide for U.S. adults that year. 

“Veterans don’t ask for much. They don’t want to be in a special class, but benefits they receive are a mere drop in the bucket compared to the financial and human cost of war,” Brig. Gen. Chad Manske said at the ceremony. 

The Ornery Vets Cafe’s emphasis is on mental illness, especially post traumatic stress disorder. Laufman is a Vietnam War veteran, who is disabled due to his PTSD according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. He has dealt with the illness for over 50 years. 

“By God, I’m gonna whip this thing, which is a very rare kind of attitude. Usually, you’re overwhelmed by it. But, not me. Nothing overwhelms my ass,” Laufman said in an interview. 

On his right wrist, Laufman has “PTSD” tattooed. When he rings up customers, he hopes they see the words and ask about it. 

“So many people try to hide it. I wear it as kind of a badge of honor, which is kind of a weird way to look at it. I’m fucked up because I was in war. That was not my choice, I was drafted,” Laufman said.

On his left wrist, he has the letters “FY” for “forgive yourself.” Eventually, Laufman will have the entire phrase tattooed on his arm. 

“I don’t forgive myself enough for the things I’ve done and the things I do. I’m trying to learn how to do that,” he said. 

Joel Laufman stands at the podium for the Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 11 and addresses veteran suicide awareness. Photo by Emily Crebs. 

PTSD affects many people, including those who work in essential jobs such as police officers, health care workers and firefighers, and others who have had traumatic experiences unrelated to their work such as sexual assault survivors, Laufman said. 

The VA page on mental health describes symptoms one may experience with PTSD to include replaying the event in their head, sleeplessness, anxiety and avoiding places that remind an individual of the event. 

“PTSD is not a crime, but it feels like prison,” Laufman said. The prison Laufman is referring to is what the Eagles sing about in their song Desperado: “Your prison is walking through this world alone.”

The Ornery Vets Cafe is more than a place to get coffee. Laufman said he wants it to be a place for anyone, especially those dealing with mental illness, to get information for finding help. The cafe has a bulletin board with mental health and community resources, such as the Athens County Veterans newsletter and the Veterans Crisis Line. 

“We have, I think, made a difference in a few lives so far. And that means a lot to me,” Laufman said. 

The name “Ornery Vets Cafe” came serendipitously through a conversation Laufman had with one of his former students. Laufman was a teacher in the Alexander School System for 35 years, and when he saw one of his former students, he said, “hey ornery.”

“That’s what I called her when she was a student because she was ornery,” Laufman said. “She said, ‘No, you’re the ornery one.’”

It came together for Laufman then that the name of the cafe would be Ornery Vets Cafe.

Ornery Vets Cafe opened on March 11, 2021, according to a report by OHIO News. It’s located at 30 East State St and open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and groups can reserve space in the cafe during the evening for meetings. 

A wall inside the Ornery Vets Cafe. Photo by Emily Crebs.

Laufman would like to see the cafe have more customers as well as groups meeting to discuss mental health such as suicide prevention. 

Suicide awareness is important to Laufman because of how prevalent it is.

“Even after all the advances we’ve made, there’s still a stigma connected to mental health issues,” Laufman said. 

Laufman concluded his talk at the ceremony with a plea to encourage anyone who knows someone struggling with mental illness and may be contemplating suicide to first listen, then find help. 

“If you can’t find help somewhere else, come to (the Ornery Vet’s Cafe) and we’ll try to get you placed in the proper service. That’s why we’re there,” Laufman said.

Ohio University Counseling and Psychological Services can be reached at https://www.ohio.edu/student-affairs/counseling or for immediate help, call 740-593-1616. 

Counseling services in Athens can also be found at Tri-County Mental Health and Counseling Services by calling 740-592-3091.