"During the first week of the war in Iraq in 2003, a Military Times photographer captured the image of Army Pfc. Joseph Patrick Dwyer as he raced through a battle zone clutching a tiny Iraqi boy named Ali.[/align][/align]"Doc" Dwyer's concerned face appeared on the pages of newspapers across the country. Dwyer, 31, died June 28 in Pinehurst, N.C., after years of struggling with mental disorders. During that time, he spiraled into substance abuse and depression, and he found himself in trouble with the law...
Just before he left for Iraq, he got married. When he returned after three months in Iraq, he exhibited the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Like many other combat vets, he didn't seek help.
In restaurants, he sat with his back to the wall. He avoided crowds. He stayed away from friends. He abused inhalants, he told Newsday. In 2005, he and his family talked with Newsday to try to help other servicemembers who might need help. He talked with the paper from a psychiatric ward at Fort Bliss in El Paso, where he was committed after his first run-in with the police.
In October 2005, he thought there were Iraqis outside his window in El Paso. When he heard a noise, he started shooting. Three hours later, police enticed him to come out, and no one was injured.
Dwyer promised to go to counseling.
A year ago — June 26, 2007 — Dwyer had again been committed to a psychiatric ward. Thomas said police received a 911 call that Dwyer was "having mental problems relating to PTSD."
"We responded and took him in," Thomas said. "He's been in and out."
Military Times could not reach Dwyer's family, but his wife, Matina, told The (Pinehurst) Pilot, "He was a very good and caring person. He was just never the same when he came back because of all the things he saw."..."
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Mission accomplished, indeed.
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More than a hero. It's VERY unfortunate. RIP "DOC". What's even worse is there are/will be many that will go unpublicized. Just another testament to the extremes our soldiers have to endure. BIG respect to all serving and who have served.
Question: Do you carefor this man's demiseor for proving your point about our failure in Iraq?
I don't think it's about the failure called Iraq but the failure and lack of support our Government is giving to thesoldiers coming back with post dramatic stress disorder.
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What is it exactly that the Vice President does? --Sarah Palin on CNBC
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happens in every war, tragic and uncalled for. but its a fact of life.
the military offers plenty of help but the soldier needs to make the first move to get the help, its not mandatory
Location: Tallahassee, Florida (Home is Ft Myers, FL)
Posts: 20,480
RE: What we've accomplished...
Quote:
ORIGINAL: 2coff
Quote:
ORIGINAL: Hardcharger
Question: Do you carefor this man's demiseor for proving your point about our failure in Iraq?
I don't think it's about the failure called Iraq but the failure and lack of support our Government is giving to thesoldiers coming back with post dramatic stress disorder.
Damn, it is indeed a sad day...... But I hope his memory is not desecrated here by having an agruement over should we or should we not be in a war...
well stated. i dont want to see this thread turn into a pro-anti iraq thread... any such discussion needs to be done in a different thread (if at all), not disgracing a 'fallen soldier'
What we've accomplished...
