Broken Hearted I write this Blog!

Now I have never had a title like that, but it is exactly how I feel.  As I wrote about earlier, I have written quite a number of posts about military deaths in the wars.  What I have never mentioned is the word “suicide.”  We use code words to designate a suicide.  It seems sad that we have to use code words; actually I feel it is a shame we have to use them.  I suppose we use them to protect the families of the victims. I am sure they are devastated enough at the loss of their loved ones and to heap on the stigma of suicide in the press releases would just be too much. 

So how did I get back to Military deaths so soon you might be asking.  Well, several things over the last week really kind of drove it all home.  The first I suppose happened when I was in Boston last week.  That evening I stayed up late watching WGBH, who some consider the flagship PBS stations.  I was at their facility earlier in the day so I wanted to watch their product.  It was late when the Charlie Rose show started and during the lead-in he mentioned he was going to talk about the military suicide rate.  I was beat so I called Bride and asked her to record it for me, which she did.  It was an informative piece and well presented -- Charlie Rose is the best at the oak table.  Here is a link to that interview.  It is about a 16-minute piece but I implore you to please take a few moments and watch it. 

http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/12463  I was stunned at the rate of suicides and more shocked by the rate of increase in them.

After that I wrote about the 6500, now already up to 6510, lost Military members in the wars we are fighting. It is hard to write about them all, as I feel a small piece of my soul is being eroded with each one.  I wonder what has happened to our country, why have we spent so many resources on this sand box fight.  What is the driving force and why do we just stand by and do nothing while our people are dying -- their people are dying and for what?  A piece of shit little corner of the world that is good for nothing but growing poppies.  Sorry, I did not want get off on that but I just do not see the value of the fight in that location. 

So, this morning I was looking at my Facebook and my friend who works down at WOSU FM in Columbus, OH, posted a story about a Court Martial that began For Ohio Soldier Accused of Racial Hazing.  Well after I read the story I realized that it was about 8 Army folks who hazed a young Army Private Danny Chen so badly that he committed suicide. 

Here is a link to that story http://beta.wosu.org/news/2012/07/24/court-martial-begins-for-ohio-soldier-accused-of-racial-hazing

It angers me that ANYONE is hazed to the point of the victim committing suicide.  It also angers me that no one stepped in to stop it.  Be the bigger man, be the one who protects those who might be weaker and the one who stands up for those who cannot stand up for themselves.  Don’t assume to know the burdens others may carry as we all carrying our own internal burdens.   

So I looked up Private Danny Chen, this death was listed as unspecified causes, here is his post. 

I just find it hard to stomach!  I do not even know what the answer is, or the cause.  I suspect, like Charlie indicated, it is the rate of return to combat.  During WWII nearly 8% of Americans were serving, now it is less than one percent of the population so they are going back to fight over and over and over and over again.  He had experts talking about the why and how but they were not sure how to fix it.  All the while I am yelling at the TV “stop sending them over there to fight.”  The answer seems so simple to me:  Remove the troops and then any issues related to the troops being there, automatically fixes itself.  Seems simple to me anyway, but I suppose I am not smart enough to know why that won’t work.     

So anyway, I get home from work today and I take a look to see if there were any losses of Military life today and up pops Army Staff Sgt. Brandon R. Pepper.  He died July 21, 2012, serving in Operation Enduring Freedom.  Brandon was 31 years old and form York, Pa, and at 31, I do not suspect he was hazed.  Brandon was assigned to 4th Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, NC.  He was in Ghazni province in the middle of nowhere Afghanistan when he died from “unspecified causes”.  Which is what we all know now is code for he killed himself, for whatever reason he is gone.  These self-inflicted deaths touch me more than others, I am not sure why.  Such a senseless waste.  I wish one of Brandon’s buddies could have seen the signs, if there were even any present. 

Our young men and women serving overseas are being damaged.  We can see the folks who come home without legs or arms, but the ones who are hurting inside – how do we know?  How do we know what to ask, how do we know or even learn some of the signs.  I have lost 2 friends to suicide and I know there are no answers to any of these questions but the knowing has not assuaged my pain.  Maybe I think about Grady and David, my two friends, when I read or think about these Military suicides.  Not that they compare, only that there are always a million questions that can never have answers, and I find that frustrating.  I am just a dumb hillbilly from small town Ohio but the problem seems to have an easy answer – STOP SENDING Our TROOPS OVER THERE!!     

I ask that we all send up a few extra prayers tonight, to keep everyone safe and sound and to bring them home.