Veterans blame war and military culture for increased suicides

Western Mass. veterans blame war, military culture on increasing number of suicides
The Republican - MassLive.com - Springfield,MA,USA
Saturday February 21, 2009, 2:00 PM
By FRED CONTRADA
fcontrada@repub.com

When Jeffrey M. Lucey returned from Iraq in 2003, he had a T-shirt from his stint with the Marine Corps that bore this message: "Pain is Weakness Leaving the Body."

The 23-year-old wasn't home long before he plunged into emotional turmoil. At first he tried to medicate himself with alcohol. When the pain became too acute, his family brought him to the U.S. Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Northampton. He was diagnosed with mood swings and alcoholism and discharged after four days.

A month later, on June 22, 2004, Lucey hanged himself in the basement of his parents' home in Belchertown.

Last month, the U.S. government agreed to pay Lucey's family $350,000 to settle a wrongful death suit and promised to make "important changes" in the VA system to help veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Also in January, the Army announced it would hold a "stand down" to address the skyrocketing number of suicides by active duty troops.

In January alone, according to the government's figures, there were 24 suspected suicides in Iraq and Afghanistan, a number that exceeded combat deaths in those theaters. The number of confirmed suicides in 2008 reached 128, a jump from the previous record year of 2007.
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Marine Reserve Cpl. Jeffrey Lucey's family wins law suit

Family of Iraq vet gets settlement after his suicide
U.S. loses wrongful death suit
By Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Friday, January 16, 2009
ARLINGTON, Va. — Marine Reserve Cpl. Jeffrey Lucey hanged himself on June 22, 2004, about three weeks after being released as an inpatient from the Northampton Veterans Medical Center in Leeds, Mass.

His parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the U.S. government, claiming the VA initially refused to treat him for post-traumatic stress disorder because they required him to be sober first.

Now they will receive $350,000 under a settlement with the U.S. government that was announced Thursday by Military Families Speak Out, an anti-war group to which they both belong.

"The Government killed my son," Lucey’s father, Kevin, said in Thursday’s news release. "It sent him into an illegal and reckless war and then, when he returned home, it denied him the basic health care he needed."
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Marine Jeffrey Lucey's family still fighting for others

Helping Veterans Return From War and Prevent Suicide
Story Published: Feb 12, 2008 at 7:35 PM EST
Story Updated: Feb 12, 2008 at 7:35 PM EST
By Justine Judge
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A Belchertown family has helped launch a program to aid veterans at risk of committing suicide. Kevin Lucey of Belchertown says in 2005, 120 veterans per week committed suicide.His son was one of them and ever since, the family has fought to help soldiers who suffer the psychological scars of war. Now, there's a new program to help them in Massachusetts.
When Lucey's son, 23 year old Marine Jeffrey Lucey came home from Iraq, his family knew something was wrong. He he was distant and depressed, suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.The Lucey's sought help from the VA Medical Center where no treatment was found. Less than a year after returning home to Belchertown, Jeffrey killed himself. The tragedy motivated the Lucey's to fight for suicide prevention programs for veterans and their families. Lucey says, "They are going to do outreach instead of forcing the veterans to go into a system they are actually going to bring the system out to the veterans."The new state program is a joint effort by the Department of Veterans Services and the Department of Public Health. Veterans will travel the state, and meet other vets suffering from PTSD. Lucey says, "The veteran is going to be talking to a veteran, they're going to be using the same language, they're going to be using the same common values that exist among them."
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Marine Lance Corporal Jeffrey Lucey's family to sue

Family sues government over Iraq veteran's suicide David Edwards and Muriel Kane
Published: Friday November 2, 2007

A recent study by the Veterans Affairs Department showed that since 2001, 430 combat veterans have committed suicide either while serving in Afghanistan or Iraq or after leaving the service. Others died after returning from combat but while still in uniform.

One of those veterans was Marine Lance Corporal Jeffrey Lucey, who died by his own hand in June 2004. His parents, Kevin and Joyce Lucey, are now suing both the government and the former Secretary of Veterans Affairs over their son's death. The Luceys are members of an anti-war group, Military Families Speak Out, and hope their lawsuit will help force an overhaul of the VA system.

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