As his mother Megan Klingensmith watches, Grady, places one flag in a memorial of 660 that represents the total number of veterans who die by suicide each month.

BUTLER TWP — Four volunteers and their children spent Sunday afternoon planting small American flags by hand on a grassy hill beneath the business plaza at the corner of Route 8 north and Decatur Road.

Each flag placed Sunday along this small stretch represents a veteran who died by suicide. The entire collection — 660 flags in all — shows how many veterans die in that manner each month.

Nicole Langhorst of Pittsburgh said she learned about Flags for Forgotten Soldiers from a Facebook friend in Plainfield, Ill.

“It’s a traveling memorial,” Langhorst said. “We’re the first ones to have it in Pennsylvania.”

Flags for Forgotten Soldiers calls itself a grassroots effort to bring awareness to the veteran suicide crisis. The weeklong display is based on the statistic that 22 veterans die by suicide each day.

Veterans or those concerned about a veteran can call the Butler County Crisis Hotline at 800-292-3866 for immediate help,

Veterans assistance programs like Mission 22, www.mission22.com, are also available.

Find out more and meet the volunteers in Monday’s Butler Eagle.