Daytona murder-suicide brings to light PTSD struggles

Daytona murder-suicide brings to light PTSD struggles
BY LYDA LONGA, STAFF WRITER

February 7, 2012

It's not clear if Jason Pemberton -- the Iraq veteran who shot and killed his wife, then himself -- ever sought help for the combat post traumatic stress disorder that gripped him, friends and a relative said.

On Monday, veterans of both the Vietnam and Iraq wars said it's difficult for those returning home from battle to admit defeat in the face of a mental disorder such as combat PTSD.

Police said Pemberton, a 28-year-old Army veteran who served three tours and was awarded three Purple Hearts for his wounds, shot his wife, Tiffany Pemberton, with a rifle on Saturday; he then turned the gun on himself. The bodies of the couple were found Sunday in their Daytona Beach apartment.

None of the veterans who spoke with The Daytona Beach News-Journal on Monday were surprised it happened.

There is often a stigma attached to seeking help from the Department of Veterans Affairs because many veterans -- especially younger ones -- believe asking for assistance from the VA means "something is wrong with you," said Charles Tubbs, a spokesman with the VA in Orlando.
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