The Government Murdered One of my Marines.

[Nomad.2nd]

Back in Faluja 2004 some of my Marines were blown up.

I got to 2 of them and dragged them out of the ditch and worked on them until we could evacuate them.

They gave me a medal for it. (I was just doing my job, nothing special. I mention it to make a point)

YEARS later they had STILL not given one of those Marines a Purple heart (Despite giving him a 100% disability)

I wrote a letter to congress asking why I had a medal for saving his life if he wasn’t wounded that day and recounting the events of that day.
I asked if I should give my medal back.

They gave it to him over 2 years after the fact.

Today I attended the Funeral of the other Marine.

We had lost touch (We hadn’t exactly ever got along)
Despite being medical discharged and having had several back surgeries, shoulder surgery, (All paid for by the government, all due to the IED blast which I SAW throw him through the air and treated him for (I had been an EMT).) And suffering brain damage from the blast….

He had not been awarded a %, and was not receiving any money.

He had given up, and his mother was trying to keep up the fight.

On Monday he received yet another rejection letter, NOT asking for money, but asking for a brain-scan and other medical treatments.
They also screwed up his medical prescriptions.

On Tuesday he took his own life.

On Wednesday he would have been 28.

I didn’t know about it until yesterday. His mother gave me details today. I rode over 8 hours today to attend his funeral, he’s the 6th Marine we have lost since we returned, to say nothing of those who have had SERIOUS psyche modifications and ended up in jail.

Several of the other Marines there displayed (Privately) ‘things of concern’ (Similar vein… I’m tired forgive my lack of vocabulary) I am trying to help them.

This is not right.
I had to sit there with his parents (Whom I had never met) and tell them about their son. What a good Marine he was, what happened that day, and other stories. They will never have any more of their son, so I thought that I might give them what I could of him.

His mother was crying in my arms and blames herself.
I did what I could.

This is wrong.

 

[Barney88PDC]

I am sorry for your loss and commend your efforts of what you did then and what you did today. It is ashamed people (usually kids) in war have to grow up so fast and be exposed to unimaginable events. Then come home and take it up the rear from the same people who sent them there and they were protecting.

 

[sgt z]

I am sorry to hear of the senseless unnecessary death of a fellow Marine. Too bad the Semper Fidelis is not a motto for those holding the purse strings as well as those who served.

 

[Yrdawg]

Thank You

Thank you to the author ( assuming it's you Nomad )

My apologies for not being there.

Our nation is alive and able to try to survive the attacks from within only because of men like described in this post who defend us from the wall.

And yet, we have private organizations to furnish toiletries to returning wounded vets. The US Commander in Chief should be outraged that his military is not taking care of it's own.

There is a scum pond in Washington DC that the Morganza Pumps wouldn't wash clean.

Always seems to be some talk of " National Treasure " of some kind, music , art. etc... unless they're speaking about US Military Combat vets they should sit down and STFU.

Any yet, the Veterans Administration is always " under review " for some crap or another. The head of the Veterans Affairs should only and always be a US Military Combat vet.

Just a few things off the top of my head, this post is a shocker. I so offer my apologizes to the author and his Marines, my apologies as a citizen who has not yet marched on the Capital, who has not done enough to remedy the situation you have described.

Once again, sorry for my lack of participation

And Thank You to every Combat Vet who ever served. It's my personal decision never to be recognized on any military service day because I am not a Combat Vet. Not to slight all those of us who served in support...but we should never accept recognition that should go to them.

I will pray for you, your Marines, all the affected families.

 

[LA_Huntsman]

That's screwed up. What do we need to do to stop this from continuing?

 

[Rusty1]

Very sad to hear of this all, why it would be so hard to help the troops both on duty and at home is beyond me, too much red tape and forms and etc. to do anyone any good and a
disconnect from the ones in charge versus the ones on the ground. Seems you are doing all you can to help and I personally would like to thank you and all the troops fighting for us
all.

 

[Hitman]

Damn Nomad sorry to hear that Bro.

I agree with all that you're saying too and have seen and felt the effects.

Lcpl Eric Hall dealt with a similar fate. 7-Ton roll over in Afghan, IED Blast on foot patrol in Fallujah, They found my boy in a f.ing covert dead somewhere in North Carolina b/c he couldn't get any good help for his PTSD. ********, here take these pills call us in the morning.

Another fellow Marine of mine Lcpl Andrew John Hengy failed by the system too I feel. Hengy was also in the 7-ton roll over in Afghan. Got back to the states and they put an unsteril plate in his leg causing mass infection, then gave him a bad blood transfusion or something like that. They had him walking with a cane and so popped up on PILLS he couldn't think straight. Dad found him hanging in the Garage one morning.

I weep with you Nomad and most defintely feel your pain. I'm sure we could both tell of MANY MORE Marines, Sailors and Soldiers who have been dealt a similar fate.

Although they are trying more so now than ever, we still are failing to take care of our Troops.

 

[CEHollier]

We have money for "crazy checks" to welfare kids, food stamps for drug/alcohol addicted dead beats, and give away billions in foreign aid. But we don't have the money to help our wounded vets. This is phucked up. For shame.

 

[LACamper]

That is so sad.

What's even sadder is that the media won't cover this. You need to get the stories out any way you can. People need to know about this.

 

[nickatnite]

Nomad,

I know how you feel...

It's just not right.

 

[Nomad.2nd]

FYI:
I wrote the OP last night, that was my yesterday.

Last few months of his life he (I'm not gonna name him due to family...) was living in an old Trailer, no vehicle, etc... (Unable to work following medical procedures, no money etc.)


IF I had known... it would have been different. Perhaps that is why I wrote it. I passed around business cards and tried to reestablish contact between alot of us who have lost it.

His mother thanked me for ****ing coming to his funeral and said that he thought he had no friends, no one but his parents. (And in truth, we were never friends, didn't get along, that doesn't matter.)

I failed him and wasn't there.

 

[S&W4ME]

We have money for "crazy checks" to welfare kids, food stamps for drug/alcohol addicted dead beats, and give away billions in foreign aid. But we don't have the money to help our wounded vets. This is phucked up. For shame.

Exactly

 

[Old_Demon]

FYI:

I failed him and wasn't there.

You didn't know about all of this with him, you didn't fail him. Our government failed him, we all failed him. I understand how you feel, but you can't carry that burden / guilt around with you - it wasn't your fault.

What you wrote brought tears to my eyes. I just feel so sad and pissed at the same time. I hope you don't mind, but I copied your post (and a link to this thread) on another forum and would like to also copy it and send it to some members of Congress and the Senate. I would like to say to the President too, but I don't think he gives a **** unless he could use it for his own self serving purpose. This sucks!

 

[Emperor]

That really pisses me off!

I gaurantee, our young men and women stop volunteering to join, and you will see some changes in the way they handle returning heroes.

These f'n politicians don't mind wearing the military on their sleeves when they need them, but boy when they are out of the light, they treat them like yesterday's newspaper.

The anger I feel knowing these guys are discarded is indescribable.

They don't have a big enough voice and that needs to change.

 

[wrecker704]

Disagree with you Emperor, they quit joining they will go to the draft like they did in Viet Nam. I know it is ashame the way our VETS or treated but it did not just start. After VN the va hosp were over loaded with our soldiers and they were not taken care of either. I totally agree something needs to be done. Every time they need to make a cut it is always the VETS care with combat problems. It should not be cut but given much more to take care of our VETS.

 

[Mjolnir]

Nomad, man, there is little that I could say to offer you any resolution. Any biting words towards our gov't you've already thought it or said it, too.

Yes, this should never have happened and I'll add one more tidbit for motivation towards making constructive change in this nation.

God bless, brother.

 

[herohog]

I am biting my tongue bloody right now. I am mad, sad and as angry as I can be at the way our government and the military has failed these young men. Nomad, you shoulder NONE of the blame in this brother. You have gone above and beyond for your men and brothers in arms. For that you may hold your head high. God bless you for continuing to fight on their behalf and may you find peace in knowing that you have been the best a fellow serviceman can be.

God bless you, them and their families.

Damn those who have failed them!

 

[jms]

Nomad your writings cause to me to believe you are an FMF "doc" , when you say my marines. You have fought the good fight and have done your best even until the end of your comrads life by being there for his parents . For that you will be blessed. Thank you for your service to our great country .With folks like you we will survive.

 

[Cat]

We have money for "crazy checks" to welfare kids, food stamps for drug/alcohol addicted dead beats, and give away billions in foreign aid. But we don't have the money to help our wounded vets. This is phucked up. For shame.

That statement doesn't even deserve the politically correct "ph" version. Charles, you nailed it.

I'm so sorry Nomad. We are just coming home from Spec's 20th reunion for Desert Storm. There were smiles and back patting. This is a reminder of the ugly dark side to war. One that shouldn't be ignored. No doubt about it, our country fails our soldiers in this regard. Straight up. My prayers go out to his family.

 

[Nomad.2nd]

Nomad your writings cause to me to believe you are an FMF "doc" , when you say my marines. You have fought the good fight and have done your best even until the end of your comrads life by being there for his parents . For that you will be blessed. Thank you for your service to our great country .With folks like you we will survive.

I was Medically Retired as a Sgt.
(Injured, NOT wounded.)

I was just the 2nd oldest of us, and think of all 'my guys' as My Marines & Vice Versa

I was an EMT also, and worked with the Doc as there was not enough medical supplies/people to go around.
Perhaps that explains the mindset.

As to forwarding this, I didn't just post this to rant, although I'm sure that's some of it.

I could tell hsi parents were 'done' and don't want to drag them into this. THat war is over, they lost.

And I know I'm not the one to start a letter writing campaign etc to congress which doesn't care.
Take a stick and beat some people, perhaps, letters to politicos, no.

I just feel like something more needs to be done, but don't know what.
(As I said, there is a HIGH probability of this continuing)