Kansas Veteran Became PTSD Suicide Statistic

Parents, wife of veteran talk about PTSD-related suicide
The Capital Journal
Ann Marie Bush
Saturday, Aug 22, 2015

Keith and Norine Holtsclaw hold a photograph of their son, Mark Allen Holtsclaw, 43, of Kansas City, Mo. Mark committed suicide earlier this month.

Items throughout Keith Holtsclaw’s Topeka living room remind him of his 30-year military career.

Medals. Patches. Photographs.

At one point in time, Holtsclaw was proud of his service.

“That is me,” Holtsclaw said as he pointed to a shadow box filled with his patches. “I have given so much time to a country I love. What good did I do? What good did my son do?”

Holtsclaw’s 43-year-old son, Mark Allen Holtsclaw, committed suicide earlier this month in Kansas City, Mo. Mark’s body was discovered Aug. 7 in his apartment.

Mark joined the U.S. Army at the age of 17. He spent 22 years serving and did tours in Panama, Kuwait, Iraq and Egypt. He also served in Somalia and Haiti.

“We could tell when he came back from Iraq something was wrong,” Keith said. “We couldn’t get him to come out of it.”

The soldier — who was described as a loving son, father and brother — battled post-traumatic stress disorder.

He became a statistic.
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