Body of missing Iraq veteran found in river

Man found in Anacostia River was Iraq war veteran
Washington Post
By Peter Hermann
Published: April 2

He followed his father, a veteran of Vietnam, into the Army, and spent a year fighting in Iraq. Arlester Jay returned home addicted to drugs and alcohol, his father said, and he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. He was homeless for a time, unable to hold even a menial job.

D.C. police pulled Jay’s body from the Anacostia River on Monday after a rower spotted it floating near the Langston Golf Course in Northeast. The discovery ended a nearly four-week search after Jay’s family reported him missing in early March.

For Jay’s father, the gruesome discovery brought one small part of sad relief over a life that had spiraled out of control into petty crime and substance abuse. But it was much more a moment to vent years of pent-up anger at the way he believes veterans are treated after they come home from war.

“That boy gave his all for his country,” said Ernest Jay Jr., a 71-year-old Methodist minister, just hours after learning of his son’s death Tuesday. “And they did nothing.”
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