Daniel Somers last words to mankind.
Somers was a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, having served over 400 combat missions, and worked in intelligence in Baghdad. According to his parents, Howard and Jean Somers, he was diagnosed with PTSD, a brain injury, Gulf War syndrome, fibromyalgia and a host of other medical problems in 2008, a year after the end of his second deployment. His death highlighted the ongoing struggle of US veterans to try and deal with wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Former US Representative Ron Paul described Somers as representing "a generation of American veterans facing a life sentence in the prison of tortured and deeply damaged minds as well as broken bodies. We should be angry with those who send them to suffer and die in unnecessary wars. We should be angry with those who send them to kill so many people overseas for no purpose whatsoever."
Feeling deeply troubled by his involvement in the Iraq War and a lack of post-combat support from the US government were two primary reasons behind choosing to take his own life:
Please share with your friends and family and keep us from going to another war. It is up to you. A free country has the choice and will always choose peace.