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Monday, July 7, 2008

Staff Sgt. David Animas-Esquivel, veteran dies at home

Brokenhearted veteran dies at home



By Dan McDonald/Daily News staff
GHS
Posted Jul 05, 2008 @ 10:39 PM

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x875596637/Brokenhearted-veteran-dies-at-home


FRAMINGHAM
Coming home from a tour of duty in Afghanistan just after Thanksgiving 2006, Marine Staff Sgt. David Animas-Esquivel returned with a broken ring finger and a few scars, but otherwise physically unscathed.

However, he would go on to wrestle with demons less tangible than terrorists.

Last Tuesday, the father of two succumbed to liver failure inside his mother's 100 Phelps Road home. He was 33.

His ex-wife, Robyn Animas, a 30-year-old former Marine, said he suffered from post-traumatic stress, as well as "severe anxiety and depression."

"He wouldn't sleep. He'd always be checking locks and he would panic in a car if he got boxed in," said Animas.

His siblings, gathered in his mother's kitchen, recalled some of the more harrowing stories he shared with them.



Eventually, strain from abusing alcohol and post-traumatic stress became too much and the two separated.

His ex-wife indicated they had attempted to enter David into an alcohol rehabilitation and in-patient programs several times, but were denied each time by the Marine Corps.

"His command was no help," she said.

Marine Capt. Leticia Reyes, while saying she did not know specifically of David's case, said rejecting such services simply "wouldn't make any sense because Marines are our greatest asset."
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Another life gone and death that will not be included in the final accounting of those who serve. When will we count them all?

6 comments:

  1. As my husband and I are close friends of David and Robyn, we are as angry as we are as sad that he gave his life for this country but his sacrifice meant nothing to those who didn't do right by him or his family. PTSD and alcoholism aren't things to be ignored or disregarded, they are real issues. I speak this as a military brat, former Marine, and current Marine wife. David will dearly be missed but know this...David Animas was the apitamy of a Marine...he ate, spoke, walked and breathed it. Please honor the man and the Marine he was.

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  2. None of this is new and that's the most troubling part. This happened when my husband came home from Vietnam along with his "brothers and sisters" in the military. No one really did very much about this then. Over 30 years later, they are still dying for attention. There is no excuse for any of this. We lost too many after Vietnam and we are loosing too many now after they come home from Iraq and Afghansitan.

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  3. I wonder if the family tried the Veterans Administration for help? I did and received continuous help for my medical problems to date. William Prieto, Veteran, U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman..

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  4. William.

    The VA is for veterans. It looks like he did seek help from the DOD but didn't get what he needed. I am glad you are getting what you need. The problem is with the VA, it's more about where you live unfortunately. Some states have a reputation of processing claims pretty fast and accurately. Other states have a bad reputation with claims taking too long to process and worse, simple mistakes in processing claims. There is a lot going on the general public is not aware of.

    We hear about veterans like you getting treated for what you need and then that is the end of the reports the media does. You are lumped into the group of the honored, but for far too many, even if they are receiving care, it is not what they need or what works. I hear stories from veterans all the time about having claims approved for PTSD, but given only medication with very little therapy. Families receive even less support to help their veteran and for themselves. Often they are not included in on any mental healthcare when they are actually vital to the healing process.

    Staff Sgt. David Animas-Esquivel ended up dying of liver failure but the back story that should have been done on this is the fact self-medicating, anxiety, adrenalin and depression take a toll on the whole body and not just the mind.

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  5. Now that he is gone, there is nothing and no one I can blame, really. My brother made the choices he had to live with and in the end it cost him his life. The Marines did provide some support. I have numerous certifications showing that my brother completed seminars and programs to treat his anger, alcoholism and depression. All in attempts to fix his marriage. He did not know how to cope with losing his children and his wife leaving. Many times I think who could blame him? The truth is,after returning from war to an already broken home he later found out his wife was leaving him for another man. His 2 children stripped away from him without anything he could do. After living back in the BARRACKS instead of his own HOME, he one day returned home to an empty house and not knowing where his children were. This can be very traumatic, I imagine. I remember when he called me with desperation in his voice of not knowing why or where his children had gone. He later found out that his wife had taken their 2 kids and started a life with another, almost 4 states away. It is sad that the system and Marines did nothing. My brother hid his depression very well and I only wish I had known how to help him but he was too proud to show how wounded he really was. He already was a self-medicator with alocohol and now he had plenty of prescription pills prescribed to him by his doctors and therapists. HE TRIED TO GET ALL THE HELP HE COULD TO BETTER HIMSELF and it meant nothing. I blame the Marines for not siding with him when his children were taken miles away from where he lived without his permission. It was when he felt alone and as if he had nothing to live for that he went overboard with everything to numb the pain of losing his family to a state he did not live in and to another man taking his place. Being a Marine was everything to my brother and he was in fact an outstanding MARINE. He volunteered to go off to WAR. He wanted to protect his country and was proud to. I cherish our memories together and miss him dearly. I know he must have been hard to live with sometimes, but whatever he may have done, did he really deserve to have his kids taken from him after everything he was going thru? After being at WAR-which none of us really know what that did to him. Yes we are all free to do what we please but to what cost? Alcoholism is a disease, a sickness and it takes a lot of support to help someone out of it. Support which he did not get at the home he came back to after fighting for everyone's freedom. I am deeply saddened by our loss and it is hard for me not to rant on but this was NOT supposed to happen to us, to him and to my poor mother who was all the 6 of us had. David was such a good man and anyone that knew him knows what I mean when I say he was like no one else. I can only pray that his children can one day realize all of this. Thank you for your kind words about my brother. It was only our family and his children by his side until the very end. We don't even have all his many possessions he acquired over the course of his life, but its all material, I guess. Unfortunately, the Marines did not check their facts of the final DIVORCE and had everything sent elsewhere, never to be seen again. All within days of his death. All that is left in an empty guitar case:( WAR and The Marines is not what killed him or let him die. PTSD and alcoholism are not things you choose to have or live with. We can choose the people we marry and share our lives with. I only wish he made better choices. Ultimately, he paid for those choices with his life.

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  6. That must have been painful for you to share and I thank you for doing that.
    My husband is still alive but his nephew sent to Vietnam the same year my husband was there is no longer here. He committed suicide. Both with PTSD and two different endings.
    Because of my husband I've been able to save hundreds over the last 30 years but among those I have lost is his nephew. I just never could reach him.
    Even knowing so much about PTSD and knowing that often there is no way to save all of them, I still have to deal with the guilt I feel for failing him. He wouldn't listen but that doesn't make it easier when I read about suicides tied to military service.
    Take my advice and don't blame yourself or anyone else. Everyone did the best they could at the time but use that emotional connection to do what you have just done. Reach out and share your story to help other families in the same position.

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