STEWART, Minn., March 13, 2007
Vet Kills Himself After VA Turns Him Away
Jonathan Schulze Suffered From Post Traumatic Stress And Was On A Waiting List
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Play CBS Video Video Illness After Iraq Nearly one-third of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans face some type of mental illness, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. As Harry Smith reports, they are not the only ones who are suffering.
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Vietnam veteran Jim Schulze and his wife Marianne are mourning the loss of their son, an Iraq veteran who committed suicide after going untreated for post-traumatic stress disorder. (CBS/The Early Show)
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Interactive American Heroes Profiles of U.S. soldiers who've died in Iraq, a look at the war's toll and pictures of mourning.
He had one of the toughest jobs in the war: taming the insurgent hotbed of Ramadi in 2004.
"In two days of fighting his unit had lost 17 guys," said Jim Schulze, Jonathan's father.
Every family prays for the return of their loved one and the Schultzes were overjoyed that their son was coming home. But the young marine who fought in Iraq came back a different man. He was haunted by the carnage he witnessed and tormented by the guilt of surviving.
"In a matter of hours he could take and go from unbelievable anger and rage to just uncontrollable weeping," Jim Schulze said.
Jonathan was not alone. A new study says one in three veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan is suffering from psychological disorders, including post-traumatic stress. Jonathan had terrible nightmares, to the point his mother, Marianne Schulze, said, he was "afraid to close his eyes."
He turned to drugs, alcohol and fighting. He couldn't hold a job. Finally he asked his parents to take him to the VA hospital in St. Cloud, Minn.
"She asked, 'Why do you want to be seen?' and I was standing behind him and he was sitting in a chair, his shoulders were slumped and Jim was standing in the doorway and he said, 'I feel suicidal,' " Marianne Schulze said.
His parents say the VA told Jonathan they couldn't admit him that day and asked if he would call back the next day. He did but was told he was number 26 on a waiting-list and the VA didn't have enough beds for him. Four days later he hung himself.
"I feel cheated that my son's needs weren't taken care of," Jim Schulze said. "I feel cheated that in my mind, the condition that he was in was not for a valid reason."
The VA won't comment on Jonathan's case, but said they are looking into it and are reviewing their intake procedures.
It was as if Jonathan Schultze had died twice. His spirit had been snuffed out on the battlefield and without it he could find no reason to go on living.
"He was willing to go to Iraq and did what he had to do in Iraq, got injured in Iraq, and he comes home and a year and a half of his life was torture. And they couldn't help him, or refused to help him, or told him he was number 26," Marianne Schulze said.
Jim Schultze served three tours in Vietnam and understands post-traumatic stress. He is certain the VA isn't ready for the veterans who are coming home.
"It's unfortunate because you'll have more and more vets coming back with this and it's gonna be a larger problem all the time and it's gonna need to be dealt with," he said.
The Schulzes hope other families will get the help they need: The help Jonathon didn't get.
"Time goes on and they say that time is the only thing that heals, but you never forget," Jim Schultze said, "and the hurting never stops."
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See all 59 Comments"In fact Jihad signifies a struggle for the cause of establishing the truth and does not always mean a war, as commonly understood by the masses. Islam permits the Holy War only against armed aggression or obstruction to peaceful propagation of religion. In Islamic terminology, this is called Qital, which is the final step in Jihad. The Holy war (Qital) forms a part of this struggle called Jihad but this not true in all cases.
Before declaring a war all possible opportunities should be explored for peaceful resolution of disputes without bloodshed. An undeclared war is not at all permitted in Islam.
Fighting is permitted against those who resist the peaceful propagation of the religion of truth. Fighting is not allowed against those who are inclined for peace. No cheating is allowed even during the war. The aged people, women, children, hermits, monks, wounded and all other innocent people should not be harmed in any manner during the war.
Bodies of the enemies killed during the war are prohibited from disrespect or mutilation. The forests, fields, crops, animals and such other things should not be destroyed. The traditions of the Prophet (SAWS) prohibit such acts. Islam permits the use of force only when it is needed and only to the extent that it is required. "
1st, if anyone was in Bush's shoes, they would never have been placed in this kind of tragedy. Like Bush, they never would have served in the first place.
2nd, with all the name calling of "un-patriotic" if you questioned Bush, people now see why he should have been questioned. He lied so other peoples sons and daughters died or were hurt. Now we learn of the "un-patriotic" neglect those who served are now receiving by the very people who who lied and never served.
Wake up.
I opposed this war from the start. There is no blood on my hands. We are destroying our fine men and women in a worthless cause. The human toll is tragic, but at least it is getting some attention now.
Let's end this war and salvage as many lives as possible. More Americans have died in Iraq than died in 9/11. People claim that fighting in Iraq keeps us safe at home, but I don't believe that at all. Bring our troops home and lets secure our borders and mind our own business.
In the abstract I agree. However, it's easy to say when you're not footing the bill. I think a lot of people accept what authority figures tell them with too much questioning. Which is unfortunate, when the authority figure in question is pencil-neck paper-pusher who can't see the forest for the trees.
The Republicans that have done this started under Ronald Reagan...built their base in the Bible Belt, lying to the Crackers and making them think that keeping the ******* down, keeping your fully loaded weapons at hand at all times, and protecting the unborn tadpole babies was the mission of their Party...when it really has been the mission to give the country over to the corporations.
The filthy dogs deserve to be sent home, never to hold public office again.
I have to agree that intervention by family may have saved this man.
If my son said "I'm suicidal," and was told he was on a waiting list for treatment, I would have High-Tailed it for the nearest emergency room to have him admitted until a bed was ready.
I agree that the gov't has the responsibility to take care of Vets, but even if I would have had to figure out how to pay for treatment myself, and his LIFE was at stake...No-brainer!
"The hemorrhage scenario wouldn't end the way you guessed. Most conditions have a protocol (imagine that) and the ol' bleeder is going to get taken care of. Nut cases, on the other hand are going to require the duty shrink to evaluate - not just a regular MD." Yes, I KNOW the bleeder scenario would have ended differently because protocol would have ensured that the patient been seen right away. That was kind of the point. THE SAME TYPE OF PROTOCOL SHOULD BE IN PLACE FOR PATIENTS WHO ARE FEELING SUIDICAL. Admit, stabilize, treat.
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A veteran of 2 Wars.
Shot down 2x during WWII.
He died *after retirement* - leaving a widow and three children to fend for themselves - ALONE.
No "survivors" benefits - only a "base pass" to utilize limited priveledges and even if we WANTED to go to a "military commisary", it was a 2 hour drive.
Remeber this when they try to shut down Social Security. Because THAT is ALL that kept me off the streets at the age of 11. It was NOT the military, it was YOU ALL and the measley 120.00 a month my mom got for me in SSI that made the difference.
Don't platinize our troops with yellow ribbons and rah rah patriotism then make them the very homeless that we show so much depise for.
True patriotism would DEMAND that our money be put towards our brave veterans.
in the last year of Clinton (2000);
prescription co-pays for Vets at VA were $6 per prescription; guess what they are now?
There is currently no charge to use a VA hospital but Bush has been trying to charge some vets $125 or more per year just to be able to go to a VA hospital
in 2000 there was no waiting to be assigned a doctor; now there is a waiting list of 18 months or more at most VA hospitals
All this is as a result of Bush's tax cuts and service cuts to accommodate them; and then add the increase in vets needing service
... but then again, Bush hid out from service during Vietnam, got into the Texas National Guard ahead of his turn, then served by being (at least on paper) involved in a political campaign in Alabama
Is it any wonder that it was Sen Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Sen Patty Murray (D-WA), and Sen Diane Feinstein (D-CA) who worked with Sen (and veteran) John McCain (R-AZ) for emergency funding to get the VA the money it needed when Bush short changed it.
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