Posted on 11/14/2023 7:58:54 PM PST by know.your.why
A married US Navy officer and father-of-two has died by suicide while his ship was moored in Cleveland, Ohio. Commander Jonathan Michael Volkle was found dead on board the USS Marinette on October 27, the Navy confirmed. The 44-year-old 'was found unresponsive and later pronounced deceased,' a statement from US Surface Force Atlantic said. 'Our thoughts go out to the Volkle's family during this incredibly difficult period, and we would ask their privacy be respected. 'Littoral Combat Ship Squadron (LCSRON) 2 is providing chaplain and mental health support to the ship's crew. Cmdr. Janet Brooms will be assigned as executive officer.' The second in command of the Littoral Combat Ship had served in the Navy after enlisting in 2007, working as a career surface warfare officer.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
If I was stuck in Cleveland I would do the same. That place is full of awful.
Proof? I was there. I literally heard every single rumor in the book as it happened during the war. Then a couple of years later, presto, there they all are, in one handy book. Too much “too good to be true” stuff and it all happened to him. Today, he literally teaches creative writing at West Virginia University.
The videotape incident of a girlfriend sending a VHS of her blowing a guy as a “Dear John” letter, yeah, heard that one. Of course, it was in his platoon. Every single rumor was real, and happened to him or his platoon.
The desert celebration wildly firing full auto into the air at night, around a bonfire, with loud music, with dead bodies on the highway of death? I didn’t see it and apparently there were no officers in his Marine Corps.
Oh wait, but actually there were... because his partner physically went after an Officer who forbade him to take a sniper shot at an Iraqi Officer. Then screams at him within rifle distance of the Iraqis. Yeah, sure.
The rumor back then was that it was Saddam! This is a corporal we are talking about. Didn’t happen. He would have been arrested and courts martialed.
Kuwait Airport and the Saddam and sniper rumor went around.
The way to read that book, is it’s a novel, from a kid from a family of vets who joined the Marines. Steeped on a diet of war movies, he went, wasn’t involved in much, and found it a let down. Came home, worked in a warehouse, went to college in Sacramento for English, and decided to write a book.
The book is fine, as a sort of zeitgeist tableau of every rumor and sea story that went around from that era. But very devoid of confirmations. Have you seen his brand scar? I haven’t. Have you seen anyone else in his platoon confirm his story? I haven’t. He is a John Kerry type with an active imagination and found a way to cash in.
Not a lot of Lance Coolies get a sniper job without going to sniper school.
There are some insights here and there and cool observations. But it’s his fantasy war novel based on being out there, and writing about the way it “should have been”.
I especially liked his getting lippy and sarcastic with his drill instructor... who of course, knew his dad by name. Fake again...
Find a new purpose in life. You can't undo the loss.
One never knows, way back then, if someone had their “bell rung”. Perhaps during physical training exercises.
I was in during Carters entire term and morale went in the crapper on ship especially the closer it got to 1980. My first CO kept morale up and was one the crew had a deep respect for as he was one of the longest in The Hilton. He began his Navy career as a fireman recruit and retired as Rear Admiral.
Over the course of four years we had a few deaths onboard only one was suicide. A guy jumped off the flightdeck as we were transiting the channel coming home from our 77/78 MED. His body recovered a day or two later. The rest of the deaths was one natural causes a chief passed in his sleep and the rest were accidents. My shop ran the morgue. Bodies were taken to the aft walk in cooler and a watch from my shop posted outside the cooler until flyoff.
This comes to mind. We had two chaplains onboard serving 5000. They were free to counsel using Biblical teachings, prayer, and was the one who woke shipmates up to bring bad news from home. Several times I woke up and a guy would be gone. I'd ask where is whoever and someone would say he flew off ship last night emergency leave.
Todays chaplains as I understand it last I heard literally have their hands tied by Pentagon WOKENESS limiting their ability to serve.
Back in the day as some say it besides the chaplains we had senior officers who we could go to if in a bad way. They would lead prayer groups in the chapel etc. One was CHENG another was the ships weapons officer both very devout. There were more and then there were others who could make life miserable if you were vocal about being a Christian.
I think coed ships factor in as well as extended deployments and likely working sailors during shipyard time instead of giving down time with family.
My last year was entirely spent at Norfolk Naval Shipyard for our year long overhaul. The Pentagon was hurring repairs and put the crew doing what was traditionally yard work to sent the ship to the PG/IO. 3 or 4 section duty with long hours stinks. Before the yards it was 6 section duty and during the three month long post deployment stand down yard periods hours were 0700-1500 with sneak outs early frequently given on Fridays so guys could get home for a weekend for those with family close enough. The enlistment obligations times now are also ridiculous for a recruit. Unless a person is a nuke snipe 4 years active is plenty of service time.
When the ship went to sea 20 hour days were not uncommon for many. You had a 10-12 hour workday and two 4 hour watches every 24 hours. Thus when the ship came home generous stand down was given if possible. Staying busy when underway made the time go faster and on Sunday mornings sometimes you got unofficial time to catch up on highly needed sleep.
I am so sorry for your loss. May Godās mercy bring you some peace
In a 1969 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, George Gobel joked about his stateside wartime service, "There was not one Japanese aircraft that got past Tulsa."
Regards,
Sir! Yes, Sir! āŗ
Bless you friend... took me about 3 yrs after my son did the same thing
Enlisted to CDR in 16 years??
So very sorry for your loss, FRiend.
I’m guessing there’s far more to this story.
Good to know we have the best minds commanding our forces.
Will Dr Strangelove become reality soon?
Wouldn’t surprise me.
Sorry to hear about your tragic loss.
My prayers go out to you for healing.
Don’t know how I could cope except with constent prayer.
I was in the Navy when Adm Boorda did it. That was a shocking event. Supposedly he claimed a couple medals that he wasnāt actually entitled to. Enlisted sailors loved him cause he went from E1 to O9.
Left a note for us. āTo my sailors, what Iām about to do is not very smartā¦ā. Something along those lines.
Suicide does such damage to those left behind.
Can’t have those pesky Torontonians sneaking across the border.
“We have combat war ships in Cleveland, Ohio?”
In WWII they had destroyers at Memphis.
Go Indians!
Thank you for your condolences. Iām not suicidal but I donāt care if I live or die anymore. I want to be with him again, but my family still needs me too much so Iāll stay until itās my time.
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