Thankfully, the mainstream media do seem to be giving this growing problem some coverage. This report from Editor & Publisher discusses it in more detail.
Many newspapers this weekend ran overall assessments of the problem, published editorials calling for the military and the V.A. to take stronger measures to fight post- traumatic stress disorder, or recalled recent suicides in their circulation area.
One suicide just this week involved Chad Oligschlaeger, a Marine who was found at his barracks at Twenty Nine Palms in California. His family said he was on eight medications for PTSD and had been sent back to Iraq for a second tour after asking superiors for help, which he allegedly did not get.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram today profiles the family of another suicide victim, this one in Iraq, who shot himself in front of his troops. Chris Vaughan writes: “On July 11, 2007, in a violent Baghdad neighborhood, Master Sgt. Jeffrey R. McKinney killed himself. He put his M-4 rifle to his neck and pulled the trigger.
For those of us who love these kids serving in the military it is heartbreaking that so few will contact Congress and demand that they be looked after. More people watch American Idol in one evening than call Congress to take care of our troops in a year.
I did read a post on you site Mary that touched my heart,It was about a soilder who was so depressed that he killed himself the day after his wedding day,and a day after his suicide his bride killed herself also.The soilder was a recruter(SP)and everytime they would tally the dead in Iraq the soilders higher up would tell him if he would have been doing his job of recruting kids to join to the army “not as many of them would be getting killed”That was something to me that must have really touched the soilder,after giveing his body and life to the army/government (whatever) they would have the gull to tell him that his buddy’s were getting killed cause of HIM…Just a sad story all the way around period.It is a shame that there are not more laws that help our soilders,not just ask them for their most valuebale thing they have(LIFE)and then act like they dont know who they are once they are home,or give them any kind of help what so ever.It is so sad.and ya know Mary,I hate TV,the news lies,american idol is rigged.I only allow my kids a limit of time with cable. we uselly watch movies or real life thing’s like A&E,history cannel stuff like that.