Major Takes Own Life at Cemetery

Army Reserve Major Lance Waldorf passed away in Holly Township, Michigan, on Monday, 2008 June 02, from a self-inflicted gun shot wound.  He chose to take his own life in Great Lakes National Cemetery, leaving behind some photographs, a note, and his will.

From Inland, at the GOS, “I hope there’s an eternity where the Major is as happy as he was in that photo.”

Major Waldorf served in Ghazni, Afghanistan, as a part of the 414th Battalion, a unit from Southfield, Michigan.  More details can be found at source 1 and source 2 and source 3.

His wife, Lauren Waldorf, said the following:

The appeal of being at peace in heaven was greater than the thought of enduring the pain he was in. I know Lance is at peace with the Lord. I’m not angry with him. I have forgiven him.

This brave soul, a financial consultant who served in the Army Reserves, was expecting orders for a third tour of duty in Afghanistan.  His boss at Merrill Lynch, Dennis Drenikowski, had this to say about him:

Lance Waldorf was a good man and a colleague who showed great promise, professionally. We were very, very proud of him.

From military.com, we have this remembrance of his time in Afghanistan.

Waldorf said she supports military efforts in Afghanistan. And one of her husband’s proudest moments in Afghanistan came in 2004, at the end of his first tour, when he was with a group of soldiers feted by villagers.

They feasted on a whole cow, an honor, and a village elder gave Lance Waldorf his ring.

“The man wept openly,” Lana Waldorf recounted. “He said his children and his children’s children would remember what Lance did for his people.

The suicide rate among military personnel is truly alarming. At 18.8 per 100,000 service personnel, the rate is at its highest since records have been kept.  What tragedy… what utter tragedy. These people have volunteered to serve our country, have put their lives on the line for us. They deserve better.

Dairists over at the GOS like ilona, GregMitch and jimstaro remind us frequently of the plight of our veterans.  There are many others, and, as a n00b dharmist, I apologize to those here I’ve not mentioned. Feel free to link in the comments. The IGTNT diarists do an excellent job of honoring the fallen over in koslandia. My attempt here to draw attention to these sad losses is only successful if we improve the treatment of veterans.

Please visit anysoldier.com or Soldier’s Angels to support our troops. Veterans’ resources include Swords in Plowshares and http://www.veteransoutreachcenter.org/ and http://www.dailykos.com/… and a long list of outfits at NPR’s Now site.

Take some time and/or money and help out, please.

crossposted at the dailykos.