War Followed Chris Journeau Home

Chris Journeau returned from a war that followed him home 
New Hampshire Sunday News
By SHAWNE K. WICKHAM
April 11, 2015

Police later gave the Clarks the gun Chris had used to kill himself. "Merrill put it in a vise and just smashed it so it would never be used again," Clark said.

STRATHAM - Chris Journeau was always an outdoors kind of kid. He loved mountain biking, camping, bonfires and playing guitar.

After high school, he went to work for his uncles' construction business. He had good friends and a happy life.

Then one day he told his mother he was joining the Army.

"I begged him not to," Jo-Ann Clark said.

The day the recruiter showed up to pick Chris up, Clark said, "I didn't answer the door. I was hoping he'd just leave."

He didn't.

Chris served with the 1st Battalion, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He always told his mother not to watch the news about what was going on over there. She tried not to.

Her son returned safe from Iraq and at first was "ecstatic" to be home, Clark said.

The officers told them to wait outside and then one came back out. "I'm sorry. The person inside is deceased," he told Clark. "I honestly thought there must have been an accident," she said. "I knew he didn't want to die."

A short time later, the medical examiner came out to deliver the grim news: it wasn't an accident. Chris had left a note."If I do this I'm sorry. I just can't and don't want to do this anymore. I'm sorry but I'm really just sick of this. Goodbye for now." Police later gave the Clarks the gun Chris had used to kill himself. "Merrill put it in a vise and just smashed it so it would never be used again," Clark said.
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