The parents of US Army Reserve Specialist Chancellor Keesling, an Iraq war veteran, received a letter yesterday from the VA asking that their son complete his “Post Deployment Adjustment.” The only problem is, Chance Keesling had killed himself in Iraq nearly five months ago. We speak with Chance’s dad, Gregg Keesling, who’s still waiting for the letter he’s never received: condolences from President Obama. A longstanding US policy denies presidential condolence letters to the families of soldiers who have committed suicide.
Geh... I know this doesn't happen to everyone, but still. This is paperwork that really should have been filed. I mean, are there THAT many soldier suicides that the USMil can't keep their records straight?
Well maybe they are that many suicides. :\ (source: http://www.democracynow.org/2009/2/20/us_military_suicides_at_record_high )
But that aside, what's with Obama not sending condolence letters to parents of soldiers who took their own lives? So, they're heroes so long as they can ignore the moral aspect of war, but when they can't face themselves any more, their parents are not worthy of an "I'm sorry" letter from the President?
That's kind of despicable.
Suicide isn't the cowards way out in EVERY case--sometimes it's the moral way out.
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