The assertion that those who do not support the war in Iraq do not support the troops is commercial-grade hogwash. The perverted truth of the matter is that those in power who most vociferously defend the war and its ever-shifting ends are the ones who, in effect, least support the troops. They are the ones currently rushing additional waves of soldiers into harm’s way without proper equipment or training. They are the ones who are allowing innumerable young men and women who have bravely served their country in this godforsaken war to return with psychological wounds that run deeper than the eye can see and than the heart can tolerate, men and women who are desperately in need of services and support that are in such short supply as to be almost criminal. These veterans are being neglected by the very same people who trumpet their support for them. It is utter hypocrisy, and it is exacting a deadly toll.
From the blogger, Bob Geiger:
Young Marine Dies Of PTSD – And Neglect
Jonathan Schulze was a United States Marine.
He died earlier this month at the age of 25 — not in Iraq, but back home, in Minnesota.
He died of wounds received during his seven-month tour of duty in Iraq, wounds different from the ones that earned Schulze two purple hearts. This young man died of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, of wounds to the soul and not the flesh. He died because the government that was there to send him far away to fight in 2004 wasn’t there for him when he got home.
Schulze had a harrowing time in Iraq, spending time in the heated battles of Ramadi in April, 2004. While he was there, 35 Marines in his unit were killed, including 17 of them in just 48 hours of combat.
The young Marine was wounded twice in battle but returned home to rebuild his life and to cope with the things he had seen, things he had done and friends he had lost. But, by the time he was discharged from the Marines in late 2005, he was deeply troubled with images of combat and violence that he could not get out of his mind.
According to Minnesota press reports, Schulze went to the Veterans Administration (VA) center in Minneapolis on December 14, 2006, met with a psychiatrist and was told that he could only be admitted for treatment four months later, in March.
On January 11, 2007, accompanied by his parents, he went to the VA hospital in St. Cloud, Minnesota and told people at that VA facility that he was thinking of killing himself. They told Schulze that they could not admit him as a patient and sent him on his way.
The next day, January 12, Schulze called the VA, reiterating that he was feeling suicidal. He was told that he was number 26 on the waiting list.
A man who had risked his life in Iraq and done everything that was asked of him by the United States government, was told by that same government that his sacrifice would be repaid by being 26th on a list of Veterans similarly crying out for help.
“Jonathan wanted help so bad,” said Marianne Schulze, Jonathan’s stepmother. “At the end of the conversation, Jonathan got off the phone so distressed.”
On January 16, Schulze called his family and told them that he was going to do it — he was going to kill himself. His family called the local police, who raced to his house, kicked in his door and found him hanging from an electrical cord.
Attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. [full text]
Kmareka.com 
This truly nauseates me. I cannot believe that the VA can be this neglectful of soldiers. They are going to pay for this kind of neglect — we all are — not only in feelings of shame and guilt for how we have not helped those in need, but in real dollars as well when families of neglected soldiers start to sue.
As a 2 tour Vietnam veteran and 8 years in the United States Navy I concur with the statements said above. The Government never did anything for the WWII veterans Nor for Korean War veterans about PTSD. I came home from Vietnam in 1966 after my 2 tours of duty there and there was no help for us until 1980-1981. Even then we got very little help over all until the 1990’s because the mindset was that there was no such thing as PTSD By many Psychiatrists and some today even deny there is anything such as PTSD and that we are all just a bunch of cry babies. A soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine never goes into a war zone and comes out the same as when he/she entered that zone. The daily stress that one comes under each and every day that they are their is unimagineable compared to what the civilians go through each and every day safe at home. I will never get completely rid of some of the things I endured while in Vietnam, I just have to cope with them every day for the rest of mylife. Anyone that has been in combat knows that they have demons that will haunt them for the rest of there lives. I still have nightmares occasionly and sometimes they are hard to cope with. The story about this Marine Jonathan schulze from Minnesota does not surprise me as a lot of WWII, Korean, and Vietnam Veterans had the same problems when they came back to the civilized world after having endured a lot of heavy combat during there wars and never getting the help they so badly needed. When I came home from Vietnam I used drugs and Alcohol to try and drown the nightmares and images I saw in my mind and tried to cope that way but soon found they never go away and have now been sober for 29 years. There are WWII veterans , Korean and Vietnam veterans coming out of the closet to get treatment today from their demons.
This one of the reasons our PTSD Clinics are so full at the VA Health Care System all over our country. This is why we need more money in the Health Care System to take care of these newly created victims from this war in Iraq. They need all the readjustment help they can get so that these men and women can readjust and get back into Society and get on with there lives.
Thanks for your comments, Craig. Your service to the country is honorable, and I appreciate that you continue to care about Veterans and recognize the need for us to be willing to help them when they return from war.
Hi all. I am Jonathan’s oldest Brother, the Marine we are talking about.
Our family has 10 veterans (1 Navy, 5 Army, 3 Marines, 1 Air Force). So believe me….we have experience with the VA and Jon had strong family support.
I’ve seen posts from people asking why Jon did not go right to a civilian hospital. Well, Jon did not have private insurance and the cost to do so would have been even more of a burden to Jon whom did not need anymore issues to worry about, especially with one 6 month daughter and one on the way!
Jon has a long history with the VA. He regulary went to the VA for help, so it’s not like he just showed up and asked to be admitted. Every time he went for evaluations he usually had to wait hours just to even get the chance to see a doctor.
People ask why the family did not do more….we tried hard. At this point the only thing we could have done was lock him up in a room…he was his own man and made his own decisions…this was impossible. Although, Jon came from a strong line of military heritage it was the “So Called” professionals at the VA that should have caught/red flagged the severity of his PTSD! They had several years on record.
Jon was your poster child for PTSD and the Gov. failed him badly. He saw and was involved in some of the worst combat since Vietnam.
From a military family history and die hard patriotic family……we have lost faith for the first time in 70 years.
I’m telling you the VA will cover their backs. I would not believe a word they say. I know first hand WHAT HAPPENED. Shame on them!
How can our government spend 600 BILLION on the war and fund so little on our military heros? I’m almost ashamed to be an American these days.
If your curious ask and I will reply where I can.
Please contact your Congressmen and Senator’s. Express your concerns.
Best regards,
Jon Schulze’s Brother
Dear 19D_Scout, Thank you for commenting. Please know you have my sincere condolences and that Jon’s death has touched my life and made me acutely aware of what our country has done to the lives of so many in asking them to fight this war and then not supporting them in the aftermath. In my interview with Sen. Reed, I told him the story of your brother’s tragic loss, and he also stated that there is no excuse for the way your brother was treated and that to the extent we neglect this issue, “shame on us.”