Veteran’s Suicide

Veteran’s Suicide

by Peter Macdonald

It is shameful when Veteran’s Suicide is less important to newspapers than a dog eating Red Sox W.S. Baseball. I realize only 11% of the U.S. population ever enters the military. This I guess to the news media believes is not enough % to rate publishing my letters. The Amazing part is www.veteranstoday.com is a Veteran’s Online Web Portal that does publish and the response to my letters is out standing. The reason that I write this particular letter is because of the response of Veterans attempting or thinking of attempting suicide that call me.

I am a no-body that has been there. Suicide is on my mind every day. Not because I want to die but because reality since I returned just does not exist. I am not qualified to talk with these Veterans but I do listen because I can relate. I understand why they believe as they do, just as they understand my letters.

I am talking about the disabled Veteran. Some are recognized disabled and others slipped by and are released into society with out support. I am talking about the Veteran’s that live in remote areas with out transportation. The silent Veteran on the street that never really returned because of his mind stopped functioning because of where he served.

The Veteran that asked elected officials for help and were placed on a time belt until it served the elected officials needs to make it public. I am talking about the Veterans that have medical care stopped or denied because of political self gain for the VA personal. I am talking about elected officials using VA medical as a weapon to control veterans needs. I am talking about the primary function of a Marine is to kill and society believes we have changed when we return.

NH has started a Veteran’s Task Force (VTF) and placed high ranking Veterans on this VTF. This TF is just another political awareness proper gander to make the elected officials look good. I attended one of the VTF meetings only to be over come by the tragic stories of Veteran’s in need. The VTF gave a sympatric word but the main function of the VTF was to get a full service veteran’s hospital in NH. Why waste the money. Just let the Manch. VA service veterans with out limiting care available there now to inflame the Veterans so they can justify a bigger budget in the future. The political games played with Veteran’s medical care is shameful.

If it was not for this 11% of the U.S. population the newspapers would not be able to talk about a dog eating a baseball. You that never served don’t realize how important the children that do become veterans gave. It is shame full how degrading you make us feel because part of us never came back.

Peter Macdonald Sgt USMC Semper Fi