Posted on 04/15/2012 7:18:33 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
HERE’S a window into a tragedy within the American military: For every soldier killed on the battlefield this year, about 25 veterans are dying by their own hands.
An American soldier dies every day and a half, on average, in Iraq or Afghanistan. Veterans kill themselves at a rate of one every 80 minutes. More than 6,500 veteran suicides are logged every year — more than the total number of soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq combined since those wars began.
These unnoticed killing fields are places like New Middletown, Ohio, where Cheryl DeBow raised two sons, Michael and Ryan Yurchison, and saw them depart for Iraq. Michael, then 22, signed up soon after the 9/11 attacks.
“I can’t just sit back and do nothing,” he told his mom. Two years later, Ryan followed his beloved older brother to the Army.
When Michael was discharged, DeBow picked him up at the airport — and was staggered. “When he got off the plane and I picked him up, it was like he was an empty shell,” she told me. “His body was shaking.” Michael began drinking and abusing drugs, his mother says, and he terrified her by buying the same kind of gun he had carried in Iraq. “He said he slept with his gun over there, and he needed it here,” she recalls.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
They pulled this same crap regarding Vietman. According to their so-called figures there are none of us left. We’ve all killed ourselves.
Hate to break it to you but this problem has been going on far longer than when Obama was in office. Dubya bears the lion’s share of the blame for this issue to say nothing of the MRAP scandal, FOB burn pits, the body armor debacle and of course the Walter Reed disgrace.
That's a very vague statement, care to elaborate?
My son in law was in the marines and served in Desert Storm. When a bunch of them came home to Camp LeJuene they were opted out faster than your head could spin. Thank you for your service now..get out
That is true. The one thing I credit Bush 43 with is going to see the troops at Thanksgiving against the wishes of his security staff. Obama never goes and when Panetta goes..they have to disarm.
We can go way back and remember the way our military has been treated by elected officials but the suicide rate has increased under Obama’s watch ..it was bad before than but worse now
You're still not making any sense here, please expand on your comment.........
and no, I'm not getting out until you fully explain what the heck you are trying to imply here. Why is that so difficult for you?
“He said he slept with his gun over there, and he needed it here,”
Doesn’t everyone?
I’d buy an M-14 but they are pricey
and they won’t sell me claymores.
“The one thing I credit Bush 43 with is going to see the troops at Thanksgiving against the wishes of his security staff.”
Sheesh, talk about damning with faint praise. So the troops are deployed to a war zone without proper safety equipment, they are deliberately denied use of secure vehicles, they’re poisoned through the burn pits and then are shortchanged mental & health care upon return. But Dumbo Dubya took a little joyride over on Air Force One for some undetermined Thanksgiving during his eight year reign of error to mingle so everything is cool?
“the suicide rate has increased under Obama’s watch ..it was bad before than but worse now”
Source please.
You just saved me some $$. Won’t be buying them again, and suddenly things become more clear too. Salute!
If you are on this site to fight..find someone else. I told you that my son in law was in the marines and served in desert storm. He returned home expecting to finish a few more months of his time..but a group of them were opted out early and not by choice. OK??????????????? and I stand by my statement that I do credit President Bush 43 for going into Iraq to meet with the troops more than Obama or Clinton did...clear enough?
Also, it is very sad that the suicide rate has gone UP during O’s watch. It was bad enough before but it is higher now...so shut the hell up..I have no more to say to you
I'm not going to "shut the hell up" as you demand, until you explain to us exactly what you mean by "opted out early, and not by choice".......
I have twice asked you to explain yourself and all I have gotten in response is to "go away" and "shut the hell up"....You seem to have a very bad attitude about his ma'am, as well as a reluctance to explain your very vague comments. Now why is that?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.