After A Marine's Suicide, A Family Recalls Missed Red Flags

After A Marine's Suicide, A Family Recalls Missed Red Flags
by NPR STAFF
June 19, 2013

Last year, more U.S. service members took their own lives than died in combat. And despite the drawdown of troops from Afghanistan, the pullout in Iraq, and hundreds of new programs designed to help troubled servicemen and women, the number of suicides continues to rise.

Nicholas Rodriguez is one such young man. Military service was practically a foregone conclusion for Nick. His family's history in the armed forces stretches back to the Revolutionary War. His grandfather fought in World War II, his father was a Marine and his stepfather's brother died while on active duty in Afghanistan.

So when Nick joined the Marines at 21, he felt he was honoring both his country and his family. He "wanted to go and help the world in some way," explains his stepfather, Michael Geiger.

Nick left for Afghanistan in 2010. His mother, Anna Rodriguez, was relieved when he returned from combat by year's end. But when Nick came home to Whitehall, Pa., for Christmas, "there were cracks and I started to see them," Anna says. Nick was "jumpy" and "on guard," she says. "I was confused, 'cause my son was hurting and I didn't know what to do."
read more here
To hear "Coming Home: Nick's Story," in its entirety, and for video and audio features about Nick's family and suicide in the military, visit the Long Haul Productions' "Coming Home" website.

The Missing: Nick and the Schnecksville Veterans' Memorial from Long Haul Productions on Vimeo.

Defective weapon used by military kills more