Letters: Mourning a troubled Marine
Bart Ryan at Al-Taqaddum Airbase, west of Baghdad, during a 2005 ceremony at which he was promoted to corporal. Credit:
I have just finished reading "A Marine's private war" [News, April 1], and I am appalled at the way this honorable Marine was treated. Bart Ryan came back from the war needing help. When he tried to get it, he was turned down. There was "no room at the inn" for him.
For a young man who served his country well, I cannot believe the treatment he received. The Department of Veterans Affairs should be ashamed of the way he was taken care of. Is this justice?
My heart and prayers go out to his family.
Rose Dannenfelser, South Setauket
It broke my heart to read the story of Marine Sgt. Bart Ryan -- another excruciating reminder of the damaging effects of war on returning soldiers and their families.
Today, there is a legion of Bart Ryans who are home or on their way home from Iraq and Afghanistan. Many will require an array of services to help them and their families with the transition to civilian life.
Ryan reminds us that not all returning soldiers get the help they need. Often this is the result of a deeply ingrained military culture that views emotional fragility as taboo, and seeking help as a sign of weakness and defeat.
For the most part, returning soldiers -- our family, friends and neighbors -- look OK and act just like the rest of us, even though they may be silently struggling with their wartime experiences. These young men and women deserve our sensitivity and our absolute support.
Andrew Malekoff, Long Beach
Editor's note: The writer is the executive director for North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center in Roslyn Heights.
