A state-of-the-art monument to remember those who lost the war at home is targeted for Kidder Township.

Mike Wargo and his wife, Sally, have made it their mission to raise awareness about veteran suicide.

The Mahoning Township couple joined forces with Mark Baylis of the Valor Clinic Foundation, which is in the process of trying to build the Memorial Mile on land it owns off Route 940 near the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Once completed, the circular, milelong trail will consist of 52 granite markers of each state - one for each state - Washington, D.C., and the U.S. territories.

“The goal is to get those 150,000 names and have them engraved on the wall,” Mike Wargo said. “There’s no memorial that we know of that honor those that fought for our country, came home alive, and took their own lives like our son did.”

The couple’s son, Spc. Michael C. Wargo, was a 1994 graduate of Lehighton Area High School.

After 9/11, he joined the U.S. Army, where he spent 10 months in Afghanistan as a chemical weapons specialist.

He suffered with post-traumatic stress disorder for eight years before taking his life on May 20, 2013.

Last month, the National Memorial Mile Walk - a walk to raise awareness about veteran suicide - was held on the D&L Trail, Lehigh Drive, in Lehighton.

Memorial Mile Monument

Baylis, who also serves as president/CEO for Valor Clinic, Brodheadsville, discussed the Veterans suicide prevention project they call the Veterans Unstoppable War to Peace transition center.

On it will be the Memorial Mile, said Baylis, who noted they are still in the engineering phase of this project, which will be completed in three phases.

Baylis said phase one is the support facilities and the training building; phase two is the lodge, dorm and instructor building; and phase three is the Memorial Mile.

“We have conditional final approval for our development plan from the township planning commission,” Baylis said. “What we need to meet the conditional requirements are some county, DEP and PennDOT (highway driveway for parking area) permits to return. Fingers crossed we will have those permits in time to start building phase one in September.”

Baylis said veteran suicide is a national tragedy happening at the alarming rate of 22 per day.

“Part of our hopes to accomplish that is reducing the veteran suicide rate,” he said. “To bring down the number, and raise awareness, stuff’s got to change.”

Baylis said these War at Home casualties exceed the number of casualties of actual armed conflict with the enemy by staggering numbers.

A retired sergeant major from the Army, Baylis served 26 years in active duty in the U.S. Army and explained the significance of the Memorial Mile Monument.

“It’s to raise awareness to memorialize those who lose the fight at home,” he said.

Baylis noted that from 9/11 present, we have lost over 160,000 in the war at home.

“The community needs a place to be aware,” he said. “It’s a horrific tragedy.”

Baylis said Valor plans to construct several retreat buildings on the 192-acre site where the Memorial Mile is planned.

“It’s the right place,” he said. “It’s a fitting place to have the memorial at.”

Baylis said he believes the project will prove fruitful over time.

“The main focus here is stopping the problem, and part of stopping the problem is to raise awareness,” he said. “Families need a place to mourn, and we hope to be that place in addition to being a part of the cure.”

Baylis said there are three central problems veterans must deal with upon returning home: Social conflict, emotional scars, and lack of purpose and direction,

“If we are going to fix the problem, we have to identify the problem,” he said. “I don’t think we have our arms around this yet.”