PTSD on Trial: Oklahoma Iraq Veteran Marine

A woman was attacked and a veteran faces multiple charges. He didn't get the help he needed to heal so now PTSD goes on trial yet again.

Too many will find this story and think about what happened in this case, however, veterans are far more likely to harm themselves than someone else. There are over 22 million veterans in this country but while the vast majority of them do not make the news, the few committing crimes do. Guess no one really cares about veterans with PTSD healing and helping others, which happens most of the time.

In this case, no one seems to be saying he needs to be let off the hook. He does need to be treated the same way other people with mental illness do but time and time again, they go without treatment.

This is a sad indictment of a system where a young man joins the military to risk his life for others yet ends up being charged for crimes against someone else.

If you want to know who is responsible for all of this, there is a very long line beginning with the military failing them, the congress not doing their jobs, all the Presidents with the title of Commander-In-Chief and every citizen unwilling to take the time to care about any of this.

Family says former Marine facing serious criminal charges suffering in county jail
KOKM News Oklahoma
By: Phil Cross
Investigative Reporter
Posted: Nov 20, 2014

WEWOKA
The family of a former Marine says he is facing a tortuous stay in a county jail because the court won't allow him the treatment he needs to face the serious charges against him.

Brian Fletcher is facing more than a dozen felony charges in Seminole County. The case against him is proceeding in court, but his parents say their plea is not to get him out of trouble; instead they say he needs treatment in order to face the charges against him.

“That's all we're asking is get him treatment and then deal with this other stuff after he gets where he can live a normal life,” Cary Fletcher, Brian's father told Fox 25.

Cary said his son joined the Marines after his 21st birthday. It was something he had wanted to do since the terrorist attacks on 9/11. His first deployment sent him to one of the most dangerous battlefields of the Iraq war.

“He was in the ‘Triangle of Death,' they call it,” Fletcher said noting it was months before they heard any word their son was safe in Iraq, “When we finally heard from him he was very distraught from what he had to do.”

After his tour was over, Brian Fletcher returned to his home in Oklahoma, but his family says it was clear he wasn't the same. “You could see that he was broken, he wasn't the Brian that he used to be,” Karen Fletcher recalled.

Fletcher sought treatment for Post-Traumatic-Stress Disorder, but was unable to keep all the appointments because of his work. “He wanted to support his family,” Karen said, “When you're a Marine…they tell you don't complain.”

“It got to the point where they were having to bring him home from work because he was going into panic attacks, having blackout attacks,” Cary said.
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