Father of veteran finds solace in his life’s mission of saving others from suicide

Bruce Bartz of Hellam Township imagines he’ll be holding events like Trent 2020 to honor his son’s life until he can’t anymore.

Written by: Rebecca Hanlon
Bruce Bartz stands in front of the wall that bears his son's name in the Veterans Memorial Gold Star Healing and Peace Garden in York. (Photo by Paul Chaplin for Our York Media)

Five years after his son Trent’s suicide, Bruce Bartz’s grief still lingers. Other parents who lost children tell him he may never find peace.

“A lot of times as a survivor you feel there was something you could have done,” the Hellam Township man says. “You blame yourself even though you know it’s not your fault.”

He fights through the heartache by focusing on what has become his life’s mission: honoring his son’s memory while preventing others from experiencing the same pain Trent suffered.

After high school, Trent Bartz enlisted as a specialist in the U.S. Army Reserve and was assigned to the 203rd Military Intelligence Battalion in Aberdeen, MD. (Photos by Paul Chaplin for Our York Media)

Erasing the stigma

He thinks it started with the bullying in high school.

Sure, there might have been other things that led Trent to take his own life several years later at age 20, but Bruce remembers the hurt Trent faced each day at school.

“I actually kept him home in 9th grade because it got so bad,” Bruce says. “That’s where the stigma starts. A lot of these kids who are hurting are afraid to come forward because of what someone might think of them or how it will impact their success in life.”

After high school, Trent enlisted as a specialist in the U.S. Army Reserve and was assigned to the 203rd Military Intelligence Battalion in Aberdeen, MD.

He found mental relief in exercise, working out at Black Powder CrossFit in Dallastown. “He was quite the physical specimen,” his father remembers.

Since his son's death, Bruce Bartz has become aware of the growing number of young people who suffer from depression and struggle with the stigmas around talking about suicide, which led him to form the Bartz Brigade. (Photo by Paul Chaplin for Our York Media)

Raising awareness

Just a few days before Trent died, he canceled dinner plans with his dad to visit a friend who he said was feeling low. “That was just like Trent,” Bruce says. “He took care of everyone but himself.”

The Saturday after his death, his fellow CrossFitters honored his life with a workout and raised about $2,500. In 2017, they raised $12,000. In 2019, it was $32,000.

In those early days, funds went to Suicide Prevention of York. But since then, Bruce says, he’s become aware of the growing number of young people who suffer from depression and struggle with the stigmas around talking about suicide.

To honor Trent and help those teenagers in York County, Bruce formed the Bartz Brigade, which received 501(c)(3) status earlier this year. With just a 5 percent overhead, 95 percent of money raised this year will go back to the community. That includes funding three scholarships for York County high school seniors, as well as several community projects related to the education and prevention of suicide, all with a focus on assisting veterans, school aged children, and young adults.

Trent 2020 will include a ruck march, an event Bruce Bartz's son Trent excelled in while competing in the Army Reserve's Best Warrior Competition. (Photo by Paul Chaplin for Our York Media)

Supporting each other

In the Army Reserve, Trent competed in the Best Warrior Competition and placed second and third in back-to-back years. The event includes a ruck march, where warriors carry about 60 pounds on their back – the typical weight of their ruck sack – and run for 12 to 15 miles.

It’s grueling, Bruce says, but there’s a “brotherhood” of cheering on the warriors alongside of you that embodies the heart of the march.

That’s why he’s incorporating his own version of a ruck march during Trent 2020, a day-long event that combines physical competition with family fun to raise money and erase the stigmas of mental illness.

Scheduled for Sept. 19, the event will start at the Veterans Memorial Gold Star Healing and Peace Garden. Along with the ruck march, the day will also include a 5K and a one-mile walk.

“It’s supposed to be this combination of civilian and service members who are just coming together to support each other,” Bruce says. “It’s about the entire community. We’re watching out for one another.”

Bruce Bartz hopes events like Trent 2020 encourage people to take care of themselves like they take care of others, like he wished his son had. (Photo by Paul Chaplin for Our York Media)

Honoring Trent

Bruce imagines he’ll be holding events to honor Trent’s life until he can’t anymore.

“I think what keeps me going is knowing Trent would have done this for anyone else,” he says. “I’m kind of carrying on his mission when he can’t do it himself.”

He hopes events like Trent 2020 encourage people to take care of themselves like they take care of others, like he wished his son had.

“That has to be part of my statement,” Bruce says. “It’s great that we help others, but we have to take care of ourselves. We’re each a valuable member of this community, and even though we struggle with our own worth, we each deserve to be here. We deserve to know we’re not alone.”

About the event: Trent 2020 is planned for Sept. 19 and is co-hosted by The Bartz Brigade and York County Veterans Outreach. Information can be found at BartzBrigade.com. Scholarship applications also are available on the website.

Volunteer: Want to volunteer for Trent 2020? Click here for more info.

Sponsored by York County Department of Veterans Affairs

Visit: York County VA website
yorkvet@yorkcountypa.gov
717-771-9218
2401 Pleasant Valley Rd, York PA 17402

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