Memphis · Tennessee
Memphis Area Veterans
Saturday · April 18, 2026 The Oval Office

Thank you for giving veterans new hope.

An open letter of gratitude from memphisareaveterans.org — to the leaders, advocates, scientists, and survivors whose work made possible a historic Executive Order for veteran mental health.

On Saturday, April 18, 2026, President Donald J. Trump signed a landmark Executive Order in the Oval Office to accelerate federal research and FDA review of promising psychedelic therapies — with a strong focus on ibogaine — for treating serious mental health conditions including PTSD, traumatic brain injury (TBI), depression, anxiety, and addiction.

This step offers real hope to the many veterans who continue to struggle in silence. The gravity of the moment is measured not in speeches, but in lives.
Why this matters
22 vets per day

Roughly 22 American veterans die by suicide every day. Behind each number is a family, a unit, a home. This order is a promise that their lives will be met with the full weight of science.

A Personal Thank You

To those who made this possible.

As the current owner of memphisareaveterans.org, I want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who helped make this historic moment possible:

President Donald J. Trump
For signing this executive order and prioritizing veteran mental health.
The Voice
Joe Rogan
Whose platform and personal advocacy helped bring these stories and science to the forefront.
&
The Advocate
W. Bryan Hubbard
CEO, Americans for Ibogaine — for his tireless dedication to advancing ibogaine research for veterans.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Dr. Mehmet Oz
Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — for his leadership and remarks.
Dr. Marty Makary
Commissioner, U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya
Director, National Institutes of Health.
Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-TX)
The congressman who spoke and stood strongly with veterans.
Marcus Luttrell
Former Navy SEAL — for sharing his powerful voice and testimony.
Marcus & Amber Capone
Co-founders of Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS) — for their dedicated work helping veterans access ibogaine treatment abroad when no options existed at home, and for amplifying these critical stories.
Dr. Nora D. Volkow, M.D.
Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) — for sharing her medical expertise.
The late Dr. Nolan Williams, M.D.
Whose pioneering Stanford research on ibogaine — including the landmark Magnesium-Ibogaine Stanford Traumatic Injury to the CNS (MISTIC) protocol — demonstrated dramatic improvements in PTSD, depression, anxiety, and functioning for veterans with traumatic brain injury. His work laid critical scientific groundwork for today's advancements.
The women doctors & researchers who spoke
Connected to groundbreaking studies at Stanford University — and to the growing excitement and future opportunities to study this treatment and its therapeutic efficacy.

… and to every veteran, researcher, medical professional, policymaker, and advocate whose contributions are shining a light on innovative treatments that could help reduce veteran suffering and save lives.

The Record

Watch the signing ceremony.

C-SPAN · White House Pool

Watch on YouTube →

If You Are Struggling

Help is available around the clock.

If you or a veteran you know is in crisis, please reach out. No one should have to carry this alone.

Veterans Crisis Line · 24 / 7
988 then press 1

Call or text. Or chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net.

Local support

Memphis VA Health Care and local Vet Centers are here to serve veterans in our area.

"Together, we move closer to a future where no veteran has to suffer in silence."

Owner · memphisareaveterans.org
Memphis, Tennessee