I was an Airborne Infantryman (11C2P) in the Army for 8 years. I did not deploy to the first Gulf War as I was in Alaska at the time and later transfered to Germany. While there, my son was born and died while under Army medical care. In the Civilian world, the lack of care would have been called “malpractice” and the ensuing coverup called “criminal.” Then the Army unlawfully detained my wife, for over three months, insisting that the German prosecuters were going to press charges against her, if I did not stop asking questions, that is. They also tried desperately to find my remaining daughter. I finally was able to remove my wife and daughter, with the help of the US State Department and several Congressmen, back stateside. After this, I was “given the opportunity” to leave the Army. 8 years flushed away. My wife killed herself a year later. I stayed to raise our daughter.
I went to college and now, due to an Army injury, cannot get a decent job and cannot pay off my student loans which are going into collections.
I live a hopeless life and have for the past 20 years. There is no future, no present and the past is misery. All I had to hold onto was my daughter. She joined the Coast Guard last fall and was sexually assaulted by a shipmate a few months ago. The CG is trying to cover this up and run her out of the service. Now her life is destroyed and I have creditors hounding me for student loan money which I cannot earn. Serving this country was the worst mistake of my life.
Now, everymorning, before going into a nothing job, where I am hated, I pray to a god in whom I no longer beleive, for the strenght to just end it all. One day….