Carlos Arredondo found himself in the spotlight for his quick action in the hectic moments following the Boston Marathon Bombings.
The iconic photo of Arredondo wheeling Jeff Bauman towards first responders emerged as a symbol of resilience and unity in the face of chaotic trauma. But that day, which will live on in infamy for Bostonians, was not the first time Arredondo dealt firsthand with tragedy. He and his former wife Victoria Foley lost their oldest son, Marine Lance Corporal Alexander, when he was killed in Najaf, Iraq in 2004 during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
His son’s death galvanized Arredondo to become a vocal anti-war activist. But the fallout of Alex’s death deeply impacted his younger son Brian. Brian descended into depression and drug use, eventually taking his own life in 2011.
The crisis of depression and suicide among veterans is becoming more public, but Gold Star families across America also deal with the emotional trauma of losing their loved ones. This led Arredondo to establish the Arredondo Family Foundation — an organization dedicated to raising awareness about military-related suicides and providing suicide prevention training. The foundation also gives emergency relief to military families dealing with the suicide of a loved one and grants scholarships to siblings of deceased veterans.
And now the state is honoring Arredondo's two sons by renaming the Jamaica Way Bridge by Huntington Avenue in their honor.
Arredondo's foundation contacted State Representative Jeffrey Sanchez, who drafted the legislation, which was signed by Governor Charlie Baker in January. The ceremony will take place today as part of Suicide Awareness Month.
Arredondo came into WGBH’s studio to talk with Morning Edition’s Joe Mathieu about the importance of supporting Gold Star families and what the renaming of the bridge means for raising awareness.
“This bridge means so many things to so many and sends a message to many. It’s unbelievable. It’s just a name on the bridge but the message behind that is very big,” Arredondo said.
Arredondo said it’s pivotal to educate the public on how to identify warning signs of depression among veterans as well their immediate family members. And his organization has already begun the process. Yesterday they held a training session with the Brookline Fire Department about deescalation tactics whenever they respond to a distress call.
Arredondo says the more people trained to identify the warning signs, the more likely a person's life can be saved.
“My son paid the sacrifice … so with these issues we need to get more people involved in civic support [for veterans]”
The ceremony takes place at 11 o'clock at the corner of River Road and Huntington Avenue. Governor Baker and Rep. Sanchez will join the choir from Sacred Heart School for the ceremony.
