My son was a Marine and thought it was better to go out with Honor then to go out with Dishonor so took his own life, not thinking of the pain he would leave behind for his family and friends.
Steve was an honor roll student and very bright, he excelled in everything he did, he made his father and I very proud.
But having to become a recruiter was not for Steve, he didn't want to talk these young people into joining the service and having to serve in a war where he would not know if they come home again or not.
Steve was forced to recruite no matter how hard he tried not to, and his worse nightmare had come true. He recruited a young man who did in fact die while serving in the Iraq War.
The boys parents came to my son, cussing and yelling at him. And held my son responsible for their sons death, saying it was his fault, not realising he too did not want to do this job, but being a Marine he had to no matter how hard he fought not to.
My son could not live with the fact someone got killed or hurt because of him, he was a loving, caring person. He made friends everywhere he went.
People were attracted to him, he knew no stranger. And would help anyone in need.
The Marines knew what had happened as he told his commanding officer but he didn't care. Steve argued with him but because of that his commander decided he was going after my son to give him a dishonorable discharge. He went into a depression state, the Marines knew this, sent him to their doctor and said he was Suicidal but did not give him the help he so needed.
My son could not live with the fact of this boygetting killed, and now this too? It's not proper for a Marine to be dishonored, so he shot himself in the head with his Marine issued weapon.
Steven was stationed in Tenn with his wife and son, his wife also being a Marine but was finished with her term.
He wanted to make the Marines his life dream, this was going to be his lifelong career. All he thought and talked about was the Marines.
Now his wife and little boy have to go on without him. His father and the rest of the family must go about our lives never seeing his smiling face again.
This has been the hardest thing to say Good Bye to your child. It's not suppose to be this way. He was suppose to say Good Bye to his Dad and I first.
Why didn't we see this? Why didn't we hear it in his voice? When he mailed his things home to his sister why didn't we think????
Thank you for allowing me to express and tell alittle of my sons story.
Steve you are missed We Love you so much....


