August 13, 2009 My heart is breaking for Major Chris Galloway and all soldiers suffering with PTSD. I did not know who he was until today when I got the twitter about his sudden death at 36 years old. Chris was a military blogger, "He was a husband, father, soldier, a writer for Flopping Aces". Flopping Aces writer Curt says about him, "I never, in my wildest dreams, imagined it would end like this." That is the exact feeling you have when it happens to someone near to you. That was my exact thought when it happened to my father, John F. Scott WWII USMC who took his own life when he was in his fifties. He suffered from PTSD and nobody knew about it.
Today this story makes me cry, it makes me write, it makes me talk about it and pray more. Chris was too young! He was too precious! He was a husband, father, son, friend. Chris had a family. That family now misses him dearly and will be devastated by his suicide for the rest of their lives. Chris had military family and friends from Flopping Aces who loved him.
Now Chris has a total stranger (me), someone he never knew who loves and cares about him and his family and friends. Twitter world now knows about him and we are all devastated. You can read more about Chris and the absolute amazing man he was over a Flopping Aces http://tinyurl.com/kvqvg7.
Today's twitter news about Chris brings me one more day closer to knowing we need to talk more about this. We need to pray more, and we need to love more. I will be praying even more for troops and veterans, teenagers and anyone who is feeling the need to end it all because the pain is too great. I always say about my father's suicide. If he could have just got to the other side of that pain he would have been able to meet his wonderful grandson, my son who also dearly missed having a wonderful grandfather. They would have loved each other so much and given each other great things to each others lives.
So if you think the pain is too great and the thoughts of suicide enter your mind please reject them, eject them immediately and/or get help. Talk to someone about how you're feeling. Men in particular have a tendency to hold things in. They may feel like they don't want to put anyone through the pain of talking or sharing something so devastating as war. But believe me we can handle that part no matter how horrible it is or was. But we can't handle the though of missing you because you are too dear and precious to us. Don't do it ! Please! You have too many people known and unknown that love you too much! Prayers, love, and hugs to the family and friends of Chris Galloway. May he rest in peace in the arms of God's ever merciful loving arms.
Wanda F. Gladwill
