Losing the Battle at Home, Veterans Remember Jessie Tolbert

Surviving the War; Losing the Battle at Home
WOWT NBC Omaha
Brian Mastre
Jul 24, 2015

“PTSD comes in many forms,” said his platoon leader Graber. “As a leader – sometimes those who are the strongest are suffering the most and you can't pick up on it until later. Sometimes it hits them months and years later.”

They've given everything for their country but when they come home they lose hope. It doesn't have to be that way. Brian Mastre reports: Surviving the War; Losing the Battle at Home

A close-knit unit of the Army's 259th Field Service Company came back together this year for the first time since the team returned from Iraq in 2007.

Back then, none of them envisioned the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia would one day be their reunion destination.

After all, they all came home from the war alive.

The soldiers came to Arlington National Cemetery to meet the family of one of their leaders in Iraq and to finally say goodbye.

The remains of Specialist Jessie Tolbert of West Virginia rest in Section S25 of the Columbarium.

“I knew him from basic training and all the way through our military experience. We were friends,” said Travis Johnson, who traveled from Lakeland, Florida, to be with the rest of the team. “[Jessie] would come at the drop of a hat to bail you out of whatever mess you were in.”

Their platoon leader, Emily Graber, who was in town on other business, stopped by the cemetery to reminisce and remember. “Tolbert was a special soldier. He was always very willing to do whatever you ask him. Sometimes as a leader, that's hard to find. he was so energetic with what you do and he so loved the military.”

The get-together was months in the making. Around the first of the year, veteran Kyle Hanson of Omaha – another one of Jessie Tolbert's friends and fellow soldiers – along with Jenna Vaughn of Lincoln – another member of the team – tried to find Tolbert online to warn him of bad news. One of their friends had died from a brain aneurysm.

“None of the phone numbers for him worked anymore," said Hanson, "And so I went online to look for him – and I didn't find a phone number – but his obituary.”

Jessie Tolbert had killed himself in 2012. It took more than two years for the news to reach the rest of the team.
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