Whitespider, as a Marine who has seen his fair share of combat, and smelled death firsthand,...I served for 8 yrs, encompassing the first Persian Gulf War, the PTSD, that was not really heard of back then, has to be addressed...but it has to start with the individual. I have no idea if this young 30 yr old sought any treatment or otherwise. I feared that it might've had something to do with drugs on the shooters behalf, just didn't know until your last post. Not passing judgement here, but seems so many of our vets, for obvious combat tour reasons, come back and have zero support as far as the VA goes, and then when they can't find employment, their lives go south. It's what's wrong with America. Hell, it was front page news for so long, now it's on the rear pages and the new VA head is now gettin grilled for lying about his own actions in the military. It's a damn disgrace. I'm in no way, shape or form justifying what this young man did, and I want to make myself very clear on that...but our govt needs to get their heads outta their ***** and treat these young men and women who need help and who signed up to serve them (the horseshit govt)...and hell, I'm a DoD employee now.
I don't want to get off on any further govt crap, it's irrelevant right now. Stay strong Whitespider for your good friend and his family who lost their son. I wouldn't wish your friends shoes, much less yours you're wearing now, on no one. A young mans life is gone, two families are now forever victims of a useless, tragic scenario. From a Marine combat veterans' point of view...be strong for your friend and his family. May they find peace at some point in all this.
