Former SF 49ers star Alex Smith says veterans program helped him after life-threatening injury

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Veterans Day is a day where we can honor our service members for risking their lives for our freedom.

But there are some veterans who return to civilian life after their service who feel isolated and alone.

"There's something that I was just reading is so concerning to me, the fact that we're seeing more veterans taking their own lives, I was stunned to see the numbers are going up year to year," said ABC7 Mornings anchor Reggie Aqui.

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Aqui spoke to former San Francisco 49er quarterback Alex Smith and Major General Bob LaBrutta about United Services Automobile Association, or USAA's, "Connect with a Veteran Initiative."

"I think, it comes down to a connection, and are welcoming our veterans back into our community. And I think so often as civilians, we don't know what to say or do, you know certainly, we're so appreciative of the folks that serve and protect us," said Smith.

"This is about us in our communities doing more, right, and not just on Veterans Day. Every day of the year... going forward. And it can be from the smallest of things and conversations, and a cup of coffee and a meal. Or going and volunteering at a veteran facility and doing more that way," he said.

MORE: Pancakes, lights and helicopters: How Danville is saluting servicemembers this Veterans Day

Danville veterans and their families were invited to a pancake breakfast on Monday, but the town is also planning to light up the outside of the Veteran's Memorial Building.

While not a veteran, Smith talks about the program that aims to help veterans, and how working with them changed his life after a life-threatening leg injury.

"I didn't serve. You know, this connection for me comes back to my leg injury at the end of my career, and I was in a really dark place, right? I almost lost my leg, almost lost my life, and my prognosis was not very good for a long, long time, and the only glimpse of hope for me was the folks in the military. Our servicemen and women who had, believe it or not, been through a similar injury and had rehabbed and gone back to service. I got access to this military medical care, and it changed my life."

You can learn more about the Connect with a Veteran Initiative here.

You can watch the full interview in the video player above