Oklahoma Veteran Crafts Wooden Flags For Others Struggling With Depression

Studies show that an average of 22 veterans commit suicide every day. For Kris Morgan, that was unacceptable, and he knew he had to do something about it. 

He knows firsthand the struggles many veterans go through afterlife in the military.  

“This is my therapy, absolutely. I went into a major depression, I didn’t leave my house for three years,” said Kris Morgan. 

Morgan’s depression was caused by a traumatic brain injury, causing him seizures and eventually driving him to attempt to take his own life. 

“I had a gun in my mouth, and I pulled the trigger, and it just went click, and my wife had removed all the bullets out of the gun, and in every gun in the house,” said Morgan.  

It was a wake-up call for Morgan, prompting him to get some help and make the most of his second chance at life.  

“By telling my story if I can save one veteran’s life by making them think before they actually do then I feel like I’ve done my job,” said Morgan.  

Kris now builds wood flags for veterans. 

“When I was building the flag, I wasn’t thinking about the depression or the anxiety, so it was helping me, and then when I gave it to him, it helped him,” said Morgan.  

Morgan has built more than 1,700 flags for veterans all over the country, all free of charge. He just has one request.  

“We just ask that the vets don’t know that they are coming because that’s when you get the shock and you get the cries, you get the laughter,” said Morgan.  

He receives support from local businesses to offset the cost. And now he’s started classes teaching other veterans how to make flags.  

“I’m doing this in hopes that the veterans will number one find purpose, find an outlet for themselves because no veteran wants to ask for help,”  

There is a waiting list for the flags. Anyone can submit a veteran’s name by going to www.veteranflagsbyvets.com/