Sarah Hunt, Daily Herald

“Brent was always happy-go-lucky. If you met Brent, you were friends instantly. We were in the National Guard together, and he was always just pleasant to be around,” Kent Anderson said. 

Anderson is armour of American Legion Post 68 in Spanish Fork and served in the National Guard for six years, from 1971 to 1977, with Brent Sanford.

In 1989, Sanford injured his back and wasn’t able to leave the house as much as he used to. Anderson convinced Sanford to join the American Legion and, as he served and became more involved in the organization, Sanford seemed much happier according to those close to him. Sanford took his own life on June 14, 2022, at the age of 69.

“We didn’t see any signs at all that day,” Anderson said. “So it hit home for all those that knew him. And it could happen to anybody.”

Fellow legion members were performing rites at a funeral when they were told. He was buried on his birthday — on a beautiful summer’s day, his wife, Colette Sanford, said. His military rites were performed by his best friends. 

Sarah Hunt, Daily Herald

“He was super athletic. That guy could run backwards faster than he could forward. Although his very best attributes were his kindness and thoughtfulness. Brent was funny, especially when he wasn’t trying. I spoke at his funeral. And I have never seen so many people laugh so hard in a church building before. It was just Brent doing corny stuff, I mean, everywhere he went,” Colette Sanford said.

Thursday would have been Colette and Brent’s 45th wedding anniversary. On Saturday, American Legion Post 68 will recognize Sanford as part of Legion Family Day. The National American Legion requested that local posts set aside April 29 to honor families and acknowledge the number of veterans who take their own lives.

According to America’s Warrior Partnership, who conducted a study called Operation Deep Dive, up to 44 U.S. veterans die by suicide daily, resulting in a 37% higher rate of suicide than reported by Veterans Affairs.

In addition to her husband, Colette Sanford remembers her son, son-in-law and sister-in-law, all of whom died by suicide. She and her daughter Natalie Hurley Anderson — who lost her husband to suicide and has also dealt with depression — continue to keep a positive outlook on life, even when it gets hard.

“I choose to stay for my loved ones that I could never leave behind because I know far too well the ramifications of opting out. So when you dabble with thoughts of ending your life, reach out, then keep reaching out,” Anderson said. “Don’t give up. Don’t wait for a sign that the universe wants you around still. You are needed and you will be missed. So make that follow up appointment when the medication has either lost its effectiveness or made things worse. Don’t give up. This is our time to learn and grow, so don’t waste it.”

Courtesy Colette Sanford

The Saturday event will also pay tribute to Emily Haroldsen, a 17-year-old Spanish Fork resident who took her own life in January 2020. Her family has since created buttons and stickers with positive sayings, such as “you matter” and “you are worthy of love” to encourage others to reach out and remind them that they are not alone.

“The American Legion’s focus, of course, is on veterans. But I wanted to extend this event out to all of our young people as well because we have such a sad problem. Such sad statistics,” said Becki Knepper, post 68 commander. “When Kent and I were in high school, there was one guy who may or may not have taken his life, but now it’s like, ‘oh yeah, I heard about that’ — you know, another one. And it’s just, it’s just sad. So we wanted to open it up to the whole community.”

The Suicide Prevention Open House will go from 11 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. and will be be held at the Veterans Memorial Building at 386 N. Main in Spanish Fork. Randy Huntington, division director for substance abuse at Wasatch Behavioral Health, will be the keynote speaker. Representatives from the Veterans Administration, the Nebo School District Hope Squad, Love Em Buttons and more will be in attendance at the event to share information and resources.

T-shirts and lunch will be sold during the open house with proceeds going to Heroes Haven, a nonprofit dedicated to veteran suicide prevention efforts through outdoor activities.

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