Today, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet announced that Vietnam veteran Wayne Telford, of Grand Junction, will be his guest at President Obama’s State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C. next Tuesday.

Wayne has worked to raise awareness about the warning signs and high rate of suicide among Veterans ever since his daughter, U.S. Air Force Tech Sgt. Brooke Leigh Caffrey, committed suicide in 2012. Last year, Wayne served on a panel of mental health experts, service providers, and veterans commissioned by Senator Bennet to address the issue.

“Wayne’s story is a heartbreaking reminder that we are not fulfilling our responsibility to veterans returning home,” Bennet said. “His commitment to making things better in the face of his own tragedy embodies the spirit and determination that defines those who serve in our military.  I am honored to have him as my guest at the annual State of the Union address.”

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, 22 veterans commit suicide each day.