General Discussion

mitty14u2

(1,015 posts) Sat Jan 11, 2014, 02:36 PM Jan 2014

"He Wrote His Suicide Note In His Own Blood" Young Veterans Suicide Rates Spiking

He wrote his suicide note in his own blood, as it was flowing out of him. It was addressed to me. He was apologizing for the administrative headaches that he anticipated his death would cause.

He was in his mid-30s, and I was only in my 20s, but I was his company commander, and apparently the only person he related to at work. The MPs brought me the note days later, saying this was a new one on them, but since he had not succeeded, technically no crime had occurred, so they were delivering his note. That was a strange day. I do not expect a lot of us get letters written in blood.

He had been found in time, and I'd already seen him in the hospital, so I expected it because he told me. But I had not seen the signs in time, ahead of the time, to prevent the whole process.

He was in his 40s, fit and intelligent, near the top of his class at West Point and in every military program after that. We both taught at West Point, but did not meet until Iraq. There, we both did things relating to a particular kind of force. He was upset by a letter a contractor sent calling him a fool. We went on one last mission, down into Dora to reclaim a site which would become a headquarters for a part of the Iraqi forces. The next day he and I both briefed the commanding general on our specific topics. Then he went back to his hooch, and a few hours later put his 9mm to his head. But I had not seen the signs in time, ahead of the time, to prevent him.

http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/young-veterans-suicide-rates-spiking-011014?click=promo

16 replies

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"He Wrote His Suicide Note In His Own Blood" Young Veterans Suicide Rates Spiking (Original Post) mitty14u2 Jan 2014 OP

Dismissing the people we ask the most from sends a message . n/t orpupilofnature57 Jan 2014 #1

Utterly shameful. NuclearDem Jan 2014 #2

39 views and only TWO responses?..Gee, does DU have no compassion for these vets? whathehell Jan 2014 #3

This post is so sad that I do not have anything to say. Helplessness in the face of this is what jwirr Jan 2014 #5

I understand.. whathehell Jan 2014 #16

I don't think it is a lack of compassion so much as the guilt of failing to stand up Egalitarian Thug Jan 2014 #15

. irisblue Jan 2014 #4

K&R How very sad...could it be the voluntary part of the mission? angstlessk Jan 2014 #6

It's a mistake to automatically associate PTSD and suicide with war crimes pinboy3niner Jan 2014 #8

WOW I may have even experienced PTSD...but back then???? angstlessk Jan 2014 #9

You can look up more info on trauma survivors pinboy3niner Jan 2014 #12

Thank you for the explanation pinboy3niner sorefeet Jan 2014 #14

The internet makes it easier to report. NuclearDem Jan 2014 #10

why are we still in Afghanistan? Skittles Jan 2014 #7

Lord have mercy shenmue Jan 2014 #11

My heart goes out to every one of them.. ReRe Jan 2014 #13

orpupilofnature57

(15,472 posts)

1. Dismissing the people we ask the most from sends a message . n/t

Reply to mitty14u2 (Original post)

Sat Jan 11, 2014, 02:42 PM

Jan 2014

NuclearDem

(16,184 posts)

2. Utterly shameful.

Reply to mitty14u2 (Original post)

Sat Jan 11, 2014, 02:43 PM

Jan 2014

whathehell

(29,079 posts)

3. 39 views and only TWO responses?..Gee, does DU have no compassion for these vets?

Reply to mitty14u2 (Original post)

Sat Jan 11, 2014, 02:49 PM

Jan 2014

I don't get it..I'm not a vet, but I feel for what these poor soldiers must be suffering to want to end

their lives over it.

jwirr

(39,215 posts)

5. This post is so sad that I do not have anything to say. Helplessness in the face of this is what

Reply to whathehell (Reply #3)

Sat Jan 11, 2014, 02:58 PM

Jan 2014

seems to come to mind.

I am glad he survived and I sincerely hope that he gets the kind of help he needs to get through this.

whathehell

(29,079 posts)

16. I understand..

Reply to jwirr (Reply #5)

Sat Jan 11, 2014, 07:44 PM

Jan 2014

I feel the same way myself at times.

Egalitarian Thug

(12,448 posts)

15. I don't think it is a lack of compassion so much as the guilt of failing to stand up

Reply to whathehell (Reply #3)

Sat Jan 11, 2014, 04:20 PM

Jan 2014

against "our" team for committing the same crimes as "their" team.

Add to that all the other far-right positions we're expected to salute and shut up about and an uncomfortable pattern emerges.

irisblue

(33,018 posts)

4. .

Reply to mitty14u2 (Original post)

Sat Jan 11, 2014, 02:58 PM

Jan 2014

angstlessk

(11,862 posts)

6. K&R How very sad...could it be the voluntary part of the mission?

Reply to mitty14u2 (Original post)

Sat Jan 11, 2014, 03:03 PM

Jan 2014

In Viet Nam it was obligatory not voluntary...so guilt might not follow as closely? I just wonder, cause atrocities were carried out in both wars?

Not saying the folks who took their own lives were a party to atrocities, but may have witnessed them? I do not mean to be flippant or cruel...just wondering why or even if there is a difference between Viet vets and Iraq/Afghanistan vets? Perhaps the reporting is better?

pinboy3niner

(53,339 posts)

8. It's a mistake to automatically associate PTSD and suicide with war crimes

Reply to angstlessk (Reply #6)

Sat Jan 11, 2014, 03:28 PM

Jan 2014

Most of the things that play into PTSD have nothing to do with that, and the guilt feelings experienced by soldiers/veterans often are undeserved guilt--like survivor guilt.

Remember, too, that PTSD and suicide also affect other trauma survivors who never went to war and never committed or witnessed war crimes. Rape victims and other trauma survivors also experience undeserved guilt, but I wouldn't even associate PTSD-related suicide primarily with guilt feelings as the cause. Guilt--deserved or undeserved--is only one aspect of many complex symptoms of PTSD.

angstlessk

(11,862 posts)

9. WOW I may have even experienced PTSD...but back then????

Reply to pinboy3niner (Reply #8)

Sat Jan 11, 2014, 03:34 PM

Jan 2014

Never even considered it till your post.

pinboy3niner

(53,339 posts)

12. You can look up more info on trauma survivors

Reply to angstlessk (Reply #9)

Sat Jan 11, 2014, 03:41 PM

Jan 2014

While there are things that are unique to the type of trauma and the individual's experience, there are commonalities among the effects on trauma survivors of all types.

sorefeet

(1,241 posts)

14. Thank you for the explanation pinboy3niner

Reply to pinboy3niner (Reply #8)

Sat Jan 11, 2014, 04:16 PM

Jan 2014

I can definitely understand why they or we (vets) commit suicide. I think one of the biggest things is the VA doctors will flat out lie to you. They put me off the deep end and I will never ever forgive them. I will never ever trust them again and they can never hurt me again because I know now that I can't trust them. They can write me a prescription and give me a drug test like I'm a God Damned criminal, then they can kiss my ass for another year. "If I don't do what the DEA says", "why don't you people just go away" (medical marijuana), "you better get out of here before we get into a fist fight" "nope, we don't have an open MRI" (fucking liar). These are a couple of the things I have heard personally from doctors at the VA. Doctors follow policy and they do not question it no matter how wrong it is. And in the end some of us know we are at a dead end street and think the only way out is suicide.