Nearly 15% of Overall U.S. Military Casualties are Suicides

It’s Veterans day.  A reason to have sales at department stores.

OEF/OIF Veteran Suicide Toll: Nearly 15% of Overall U.S. Military Casualties Result from Suicide

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Earlier this month, the Army reported its own current soldier suicide data, reflecting another year of record increases. And just last week, the VA chimed in with their latest OEF/OIF veterans suicide figures — also another record-breaker — for its Afghanistan and Iraq veteran clients.

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It’s not surprising that so many vets kill themselves.  It’s just not normal to kill other human beings, women and children, to watch your friends be blown into bits and pieces and to torture — for no good reason, to make the rich richer.

Earlier today I read The Torturers Tale, the story of Tony Lagouranis and Stephen Lewis.  Two soldiers who finally decided to refuse to torture.

I’m listening to Dannion Brinkley’s annual Veterans Day talk on Coast and he had some good news about VA care for veterans with post traumatic stress syndrome. The VA is finally getting serious about helping vets and setting up good programs. 

Dannion is the guy who just won’t die.  

From his bio:

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Dannion has survived insurmountable odds including two lightning strikes, open-heart surgery, brain surgery and a massive grand mal seizure.

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I read Dannion’s first two books and I remember when Art Bell flew to Florida when Dannion had the brain aneurism and everbody was sure he’d die.  But, Dannion lived and he’s been helping veterans die in hospices and he does so much work for veterans.

The VA and the military don’t count the deaths due to alcoholism and drug abuse as suicides.  

In the early 80s I lived on the Navajo rez and so many were vets.  Many froze to death on their way home from Gallup.  Then I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area and so many of the homeless people I talked to were vets.   For a while I worked as a messenger and while standing by in downtown San Francisco, I had some interesting conversations.  Once you’re out of the system and on the streets, it’s almost impossible to become “employable” again.

My first loan application was declined because my husband had failed to make the final INTEREST payment on a department store card before he was stationed in Germany.  He just paid the bill in full before he left and never received another statement.

Many of my clients are or were in the military.  Many are very ill and while fighting to stay alive, they have to battle credit bureaus and collectors for totally incorrect credit reporting, the reporting of medical collections that were never billed or were paid as soon as they COULD pay them.   What are people supposed to do when they don’t have the money to pay for medical care?  Blow their brains out?

I posted at my credit blog about a disabled Gulf War 1 vet, battling cancer and with an autistic girl.  And then credit bureau Trans Union decided to lower her FICO credit score by over 80 points by removing the DATE CLOSED from a discharged Capital One account.

I tried to sue Trans Union for refusing to correct the reporting despite my repeated faxes (with power of attorney because my client was so sick).  Judge Teilborg dismissed that claim last week.   I certainly won’t recommend that my client should sue, the stress of litigation would probably kill her.  Her little girl needs her. 

It’s a disgrace how the wealthiest country on the planet abuses its veterans.