Helena mourns Iraq veteran who committed suicide

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2007/03/10/news/mtregional/news05.txt

The 23-year-old veteran of the Iraq war, who served with the 163rd Infantry Battalion, Montana National Guard, agreed to see a counselor for post-combat stress.

Members of his family, concerned for months about his change in behavior, believed they were starting to get through to him. Their son and brother promised to seek the help they all knew he so desperately needed.

Then Dana canceled the appointment. He began screening his calls. He stopped showing up at drill with the National Guard. He quit his job at Target, cleaned his car and the trailer he shared with a friend. And then, on March 4, he shut himself into his bedroom, put a blanket over his head, and shot himself.


<snip>Dana wasn't physically wounded in battle. Yet his injuries festered below the surface. One of his brothers, Matt Kuntz, said Dana seemed to be melting from the inside.

His mother, Lisa Kuntz, said he was in terrible pain. His father, Gary Dana, said his eyes had lost their shine, reflecting his slow withdrawal from the joy of living.

“He just didn't have that glimmer in his eyes,” Gary Dana said earlier this week. “There's a look in people's eyes. There was something back there that was bothering him. You can look into a person's face and see it.”

[Skittles]

1. *sniff*

very distressing

[Erika]

2. W's war

Insane and without rationalization. Our poor kids.

[ninkasi]

3. Not all wounds are physical

Some go deeper, and what happened to this young man is the result. We have sacrificed far, far too many, and it needs to stop now. Instead of spending more money sending young people to fight, be maimed, or die in Bush's war of choice, we need to bring our troops home, and spend the money necessary to help them heal.

This is indeed a dark period in our country's history. We had VietNam as an example, it shouldn't have happened again. Rest in peace, brother. Get the troops out now. Impeach the war criminals, Bush, Cheney, and the rest NOW.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. Oh God help us

Now that "liberal" Dem congress reps are calling military moms "idiots" and accusing them of smoking something illegal, I fear we will NEVER get out of Iraq.

END THE GODDAMN WAR - TODAY!!

[murielm99]

5. Are these families

who lost a veteran to suicide starting to connect?

I am seeing too damn many of these families. I know two families here who lost veteran sons to suicide. They stay in touch with each other. Maybe all of these people who lost someone need to form a group. They can help each other, do some publicity, and put some pressure on the powers that be.

Maybe they would feel less helpless.