Dozens of feet below the perennially waving U.S. and Arizona state flags and shaded by an array of leafy trees, a collection of bronzed combat boots is permanently affixed to a low concrete wall bearing the words “The Unheard 22.”
The scene on the Yavapai College Prescott campus signals it’s time, after 21/2 years of striving on the part of a former student leader, Jamie Oltersdorf, to dedicate The Unheard 22 Memorial in honor of the unacceptable number of veterans lost to suicide in the United States every day.
For Jamie, a U.S. Air Force veteran, suicide survivor and former YC Student Government Association president, it’s time to bring the project’s fund-raising and logistics planning to an end while letting the healing for those affected by veteran suicide continue indefinitely.
“I’ve put so much work into it. It has been my baby since I served on the SGA, so the dedication will be very meaningful for me,” Jamie said.
Oltersdorf, a spring graduate of YC’s business bachelor’s degree program and coordinator for YC’s Human Resources Office, is finalizing the details of the Unheard 22 Memorial dedication ceremony scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Thursday, May 22.
The solemn yet hopeful ceremony will feature music, speeches, a ribbon-cutting, and a chance to talk to representatives of area veterans and mental health advocacy organizations.
All are welcome to attend, learn about the memorial’s history and purpose, and be introduced posthumously to two of Jamie’s fellow service members who took their own lives. A pair of benches placed near the Prescott Campus Unheard 22 Memorial will be dedicated in their names.
Jamie launched The Unheard 22 Memorial project in 2022 to raise awareness of veteran suicide and prevention resources and ultimately, to save lives. Since unveiling the project on Veterans Day that year, she and fellow YC student leaders, college leadership, faculty, staff and volunteers have been collecting combat boots, raising money and holding vigils every 22nd day of the month at the designated memorial sites below the flagpoles at both the Prescott and Verde Valley campuses.
Donations big and small helped Jamie reach a $13,000 fund-raising goal. YC Art instructor and sculptor Ben McKee facilitated the bronzing of a total of 44 pairs of donated combat boots – 22 for each of the two campus memorials.
The Unheard 22 Memorial dedication will be livestreamed on YC’s Facebook page on May 22. Visit https://www.facebook.com/YavapaiCollegePrescott to watch the dedication live or view the recording.
Meanwhile, Jamie personally has been using social media to get the word out about The Unheard 22 Memorial and veteran suicide prevention. A recent TikTok video she created has garnered more than 30,000 views and more than a few requests for her help steering similar projects elsewhere. Asked if she plans to lend a hand launching additional Unheard 22 projects, the mother of two including a 7-month-old, hesitated before saying, “Maybe one day I will.”
Yavapai College operates seven campuses and centers throughout Yavapai County and offers over 100 degrees and certificates, three baccalaureate degrees (with one more pending accreditation approval), student and community services, and cultural events and activities. To learn more about YC, visit www.yc.edu.