On April 16, 2010, at about 3:45 a.m. Jesse Huff went to the V.A. hospital in Dayton seeking help. He left and came back about 5:45 a.m. He was an Infantry veteran of the Iraq War, combat wounded, and a holder of the Combat Infantry Badge. “When he came home, a friend saw him as a changed man, he had become very quiet. “He would never open up and tell you what was wrong.” Jesse shot himself to death on the front steps of the hospital. His suicide was described “as an unfortunate incident.”
During the American Civil War, Dr. Jacob Mendez Da Costa believed there was a connection between the war service of his Civil War patients and heart problems. Costa termed the condition “soldiers heart” or “irritable heart.” These were men, many wounded, who stood yards from their enemies firing rifled weapons and under fire from artillery. John Hildt lost a limb at the Seven Days Battle and “then lost his mind” At the time notions of manliness and courage meant soldiers with mental illness were a source of shame. In the carnage of the First World War it was known as “shell shock,” and in the Second World War and beyond “combat fatigue.” Finally, in 1980 it got a name: PTSD. We now know that they were suffering PTSD and the relationship to heart problems was real.
Veterans have a 57% higher risk of suicide than those that haven’t served. Women who are veterans, survivors of combat and sexual assault, have a higher risk of suicide than men. Since 2001, 125,000 veterans have killed themselves. It is the leading cause of deaths for veterans under 45. Suicide is a problem for active-duty soldiers. Research indicates that among 9/11 era volunteers, 30,177 active-duty soldiers have killed themselves. Military suicide rates are four times combat losses.
You can help. Contact veterans’ organizations, like the VFW, American Legion and Disabled American Veterans. DAV needs help to get veterans to appointments, file claims, home maintenance, run errands and other support activities. Provide a service dog for a vet. Contact the Dayton Development Commissions Hometown Heroes and the Greater Miami My-Veteran Community. Volunteer at the Dayton Veterans Hospital. Vote for politicians who do something for veterans other than talk. Go to the Dayton VA and see the cost of war. No veteran is a loser or fool. They are all heroes. They are not disposable. They are in need of our help.
If you are a veteran feeling depressed, isolated, in family difficulties, thinking of hurting yourself: Call 988 and select 1.
David Madden is a retired trial attorney. He was an Infantry platoon leader and LTC in the JAG Corps.
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