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Post-War Stress Too Much For Marlboro Man's Marriage
The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 6-28-2006 | Catherine Elsworth

Posted on 06/27/2006 6:13:03 PM PDT by blam

Post-war stress too much for Marlboro Man's marriage

By Catherine Elsworth in Los Angeles
(Filed: 28/06/2006)

A US marine whose photograph touched the hearts of countless Americans has filed for divorce just weeks after his lavish wedding was funded by donations from the public.

An iconic picture of James Blake Miller, 21, was taken in 2004 during a break from combat in Fallujah and was published in hundreds of newspapers.

Showing him grubby-faced and exhausted with a cigarette dangling from his lips, it earned him the nickname Marlboro Man.

After his return to the United States, the lance corporal revealed that he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

He also told one interviewer he wished he could have given his wife, Jessica, 23, whom he married in a simple civil ceremony in June 2005, the wedding of her dreams.

Sympathetic readers responded with contributions towards an £8,000 wedding ceremony, which was held on June 3 at a golf club near Mr Miller's home town of Pikeville, Kentucky.

The couple renewed their vows, with the groom in his Marine Corps dress blues and the bride wearing a white dress.

But nine days later, the couple were already living apart, according to court documents. On June 20, Mr Miller filed for divorce, saying the marriage was "irretrievably broken".

"I'm just sad for them," said Eunice Davis, of Pleasanton, California, who spearheaded the campaign to fund the wedding.

Mr Miller, who was discharged from the marines in 2005, has spoken about his struggles with post-traumatic stress and even addressed congressmen in Washington in an attempt to increase funding for veterans suffering from the disorder.

He told the San Francisco Chronicle that he was grateful to those who paid for the wedding but that he had found dealing with day-to-day issues and stress from the war too much. "I love Jessica, I really do, but I can't be with her," he said.

Mrs Miller told the paper she still hoped they could be together. "I think neither one of us recognised the scope of post-traumatic stress disorder and what it does to you and what it does to people around you," she said. "Now he's got to figure out how to deal with it before he can deal with me."


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Kentucky; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: blakemiller; mans; marlboro; marriage; militaryfamilies; much; oifveterans; post; ptsd; stress; too; war
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1 posted on 06/27/2006 6:13:07 PM PDT by blam
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To: blam

2 posted on 06/27/2006 6:14:58 PM PDT by blam
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To: blam

An odd story. He loves her but cannot be with her?


3 posted on 06/27/2006 6:15:25 PM PDT by Dante3
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To: blam

just damn ...

prayers for all involved.


4 posted on 06/27/2006 6:15:41 PM PDT by Blueflag (Res ipsa loquitor)
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To: blam

That picture just made all the heroes who died in previous wars smile. Even the Founders stopped rotating for a second.


5 posted on 06/27/2006 6:16:44 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist (What you know about that?)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist

I think the founders might've even lit one up, too.
In the nonsmoking section -oh WAIT! There were none back then...

Prayers for James and Jessica's lives.


6 posted on 06/27/2006 6:21:26 PM PDT by RandallFlagg (Roll your own cigarettes! You'll save $$$ and smoke less!(Magnetic bumper stickers-click my name)
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To: Dante3

I did two tours in Viet Nam as did many of my friends and cousins, my old man and uncles served in WW2 and Korea, we go back to King Phillip's War, they married, had kids, made it or didn't and died. This Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome is an excuse.


7 posted on 06/27/2006 6:28:00 PM PDT by Little Bill (A 37%'r, a Red Spot on a Blue State, rats are evil.)
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To: Little Bill
" This Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome is an excuse."

Nah. I believe it's real. My brother's (bless his soul) best friend stopped by here today on his way back from the VA hospital in Biloxi. Take my word for it, he really is 'messed-up.' (Vietnam)

8 posted on 06/27/2006 6:39:48 PM PDT by blam
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To: blam

::girlish sigh::


9 posted on 06/27/2006 6:41:23 PM PDT by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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To: blam
A US marine whose photograph touched the hearts of countless Americans has filed for divorce just weeks after his lavish wedding was funded by donations from the public.
10 posted on 06/27/2006 6:41:29 PM PDT by stuck_in_new_orleans
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To: Calpernia

Don't you just want to hug him hard?


11 posted on 06/27/2006 6:42:41 PM PDT by Xenalyte (We all know power corrupts, yet we all want electricity.)
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To: Xenalyte

Absolutely!


12 posted on 06/27/2006 6:43:00 PM PDT by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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To: Little Bill

"This Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome is an excuse."

In WWI it was called "Shell Shock".


13 posted on 06/27/2006 6:47:48 PM PDT by cibco (Xin Loi Saddam)
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To: Dante3
An odd story.

Odd indeed, buy war can scar a man's soul far more deeply than it can scar his body.

He loves her but cannot be with her?

Perhaps he's protecting her ... from himself. I don't mean 'abuse' in the ususal sense of the word, but from having to deal with whatever demons he's dealing with.

It's a sad story, and doubly sad that it has become fodder for international newspapers.

In any case, I pray for both of them. May The Lord God guard and guide them.

14 posted on 06/27/2006 6:49:07 PM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilisation is aborting, buggering, and contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: Dante3

Ever seen a war vet with stress syndrome?


15 posted on 06/27/2006 6:49:39 PM PDT by marajade (Yes, I'm a SW freak!)
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To: Little Bill

My husband suffered for ten years after his tours of Viet Nam. We don't know if it was PTSD but suspect it was. We didn't know it happened to others for a long time. It wasn't discussed much back then.

Some never get over it. Thankfully, he did.


16 posted on 06/27/2006 6:52:28 PM PDT by jch10
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To: ArrogantBustard

I heard he caught her posting on DU. Immediately knew that wasn't going to work.


17 posted on 06/27/2006 6:52:59 PM PDT by casino66
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To: casino66

LOL

Good one!


18 posted on 06/27/2006 6:55:56 PM PDT by Jesyca (Better living through superior firepower!)
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To: blam

God bless this Marine, he needs our prayers. Hope that he and Jessica can work it out.


19 posted on 06/27/2006 6:55:59 PM PDT by Inspectorette
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To: blam

I'm not surprised. He's fresh from a war and he's very young to be getting married. Alot on his plate. Hopefully with time and some healing, they can work this out.


20 posted on 06/27/2006 7:01:57 PM PDT by Arpege92 (If you don't stand behind our troops...please feel free to stand in front of them!)
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