White House policy: No letter to families of military suicides

[spiritual_gunfighter]

Washington (CNN) -- Gregg Keesling chooses his words carefully when he talks about the death of his son, Spc. Chancellor Keesling.

As far as he's concerned, the soldier didn't "take his own life" or "commit suicide."

His son "died by suicide," Keesling insists -- and he has his reasons why.

When 25-year old Chancellor Keesling shot himself in Iraq on June 19, his family received much support from the military and local officials. Gregg Keesling's son was given the honor afforded to a fallen service member.

The Keesling family went to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to watch as his body was flown back to Indiana six days later. At his burial, seven rifles fired three times each, in true military tradition.

Later, the soldier's aunt created a memorial wall in the family's Indianapolis living room. On the wall hangs Spc. Keesling's uniform, the U.S. flag that was handed to his mother, Jannett, after the service and the Indianapolis flag that flew over the state Capitol in his honor.

Yet there's an empty spot on the wall for an honor that never arrived: a letter from the president.

Gregg Keesling wanted to know why, especially after hearing President Obama talk about how he struggled to write letters to the families of each and every soldier killed in the war.

After pressing for an answer, the family found out the truth: There would be no condolence letter.

It's a matter of policy dating to the Clinton era, according to the White House. The commander in chief sends such letters to the families of troops who have died in combat, but not if they committed suicide, Gregg was told.

The policy felt wrong to Gregg and Jannett Keesling. Their son was a hero, and his country should be proud of him, they said. So Gregg Keesling wrote to Obama and Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr., imploring them to rethink the policy.

"The recognition of the president could have profound impact on the family of the suicide victim," Keesling wrote in August.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/11/27/soldier.suicide/

[dsc]

1. that is just wrong

He died over there he should get the letter. Geeze for Clinton, who lost close friend Foster to suicide, of all people that is ironic and sad.

[HamdenRice]

2. I think you mean, White House has not changed long standing policy

[cowcommander]

3. Bullshit policy

If he served our country honorably, he deserves the proper honors at his funeral.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

4. If Obama is going to ask 34,000 more soldiers to go to war

then policy or not, it might not be too much to ask.

[greennina]

7. He went AWOL!

Why should he get a letter? Unless of course you claim he was following orders to shoot himself.

[bobbolink]

16. Do you come here specifically to rile people up? Is that your goal?

[nsd]

8. He got funeral honors. The dispute is about a presidential letter.

People who serve in the military honorably and die of natural causes at home don't get letters.

[peacetalksforall]

5. Keesling is right. Obama is wrong for perpetuating this policy.

If the soldier developed a disease from a wound - it's ok?
To develop a dis-ease from a mental, heart,or soul wound - is not ok?

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

[polichick]

6. Pretty insensitive policy - think those soldiers would've committed suicide...

...if they were safe at home??

[TwilightGardener]

9. His is a sad story, and I'm glad he received full honors for his military service.

He deserves that. But I think it's a little misguided to expect to receive a letter from the President because your son killed himself. That's not a heroic action, and shouldn't be elevated as such.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

11. It has nothing to do with being heroic

but it has everything to do with being mentally ill. Would you say that someone that died from septic shock didn't die heroically? Mental illness is a disease and should be treated as such. Unfortunately society looks down on people that suffer from mental illness as your post is evidence of.

[TwilightGardener]

12. What he did was tragic, but it's not a combat death, and not an action to honor.

Edit to add: he could have killed himself here after his return, and wouldn't have received a letter. People die on active duty sometimes, and don't receive letters from the President if they're stateside. He was honored--the family should let it go.

[varelse]

13. It's his service that is honored

not the manner of his death.

[TwilightGardener]

14. Um, no--his service WAS honored. Vast majority of active duty and veterans

who die will never receive a letter from the President. That's NOT a typical honor, it's reserved for those who died in combat.

[Individualist]

10. That's a disgusting policy.

Psychological wounds often are worse than physical ones.

[pitohui]

15. i believe the policy should be changed

no one chooses to have the disease of depression, much less to have it progress to death (suicide)

a condolence letter would cost the white house little and mean a lot to the family

i support the family's campaign and hope that this policy will be changed

[Tippy]

17. A White House spokesperson has said the policy is being reviewed...