Soldier to be remembered.

200273707gc · 07-7-2008, 07:52 PM

Overdose kills ex-Fort Bliss soldier
By Stephanie Sanchez / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 07/07/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT

Joseph Dwyer was photographed in March 2003 carrying an Iraqi boy who had been injured during fighting. Dwyer died late last month. (Warren Zinn / Army Times)
October 2005 Times story: Friends say man who fired shots has stress disorder
Former Fort Bliss Army Spc. Joseph Dwyer, whose photograph depicting him carrying a wounded boy to safety during the first days of the ground war in Iraq became a symbol of the U.S. Army, died late last month of an overdose at home in North Carolina, Army officials and police said Sunday.

Officials with the Pinehurst Police Department in North Carolina said no one would be available to talk about the ex-soldier's death until today, but Jean Offutt, a Fort Bliss spokesperson, said Fort Bliss officials were aware of the former soldier's death. The Army Times reported the day Dwyer died that he had apparently taken pills and inhaled the fumes from an aerosol can.

"He was certainly a hero. ... He did have some difficulty dealing with it," Offutt said. She added that Dwyer was treated at Beaumont Army Medical Center. "It is certainly a tragedy."

In 2003, Dwyer returned to Fort Bliss after serving four months in Iraq with the 3rd Squadron of the 7th Cavalry Regiment. A native of Mount Sinai, N.Y., he had joined the Army as a medic two days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, according to El Paso Times archives.

During his tour in Iraq, an Army Times photographer captured Dwyer as he helped a young boy to safety after his family was caught in the crossfire of a

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battle near Faysaliyah, Iraq. The photo ran in newspapers nationwide, including the El Paso Times.
In October 2005, Dwyer's friends told the El Paso Times he had returned from the war a different person. At first he was a religious man, but then problems including drinking, sniffing inhalants and nightmares started occurring, his friends said. Dwyer suffered from post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, they said.

Dwyer was involved an incident in early 2005 in which he crashed his car and said he saw a box he thought was a bomb in the middle of the street, his friends told the El Paso Times. In October 2005, he was arrested for shooting up his East El Paso apartment in which the police SWAT team negotiated with him for more than three hours. No one was hurt.

Offutt said Dwyer's death should make people aware of PTSD symptoms. Details of Dwyer's mental-health history and treatment at Beaumont Army Medical Center were not available Sunday.

"He served his country," Offutt said. "It is unfortunate that these things sometimes happen to soldiers when they return. Our thoughts are with his family, spouse and children."

Valerie Miller Topp, a friend of Dwyer's, said she met him when Dwyer's wife, Matina, was pregnant with their daughter in 2005.

"When I first met him he was heavily medicated. ... He didn't really talk much," she said. "As the pregnancy progressed he began to open up and talk more. They were just a really nice couple."

Miller Topp said Dwyer said the couple moved to North Carolina from El Paso in 2006.

"He (Dwyer) said, 'I just want to go fishing. I don't want anything to do with violence, guns or war. I just want to meet my daughter and go fishing,'" she said.

Crashfan3 · 07-7-2008, 10:50 PM

A little random...
But yeah. War ****s you up.

200273707gc · 07-14-2008, 04:41 PM

remember this soldier.

AppleTJ · 07-15-2008, 07:51 PM

R.I.P

Grandiagod · 07-15-2008, 07:56 PM

The Army/marines/whatever try to make signing up seem so attractive, often omitting the fact that you can often be ****ing shot dead.

McLaReN212 · 07-15-2008, 08:12 PM

i think most people know that that is a possibility

Grandiagod · 07-15-2008, 08:15 PM

you'd be surprised about how little people know about the realities of war.

Especially the uneducated lower income people they likes to recruit. I'm not saying that they don't know that they can be killed, but the military likes to keep the realities about the dangers and atrocities of war out of their flashy tv adds and recruiting pitches.

McLaReN212 · 07-15-2008, 08:17 PM

ah. well that does make sense though, it would get more people to be like YE THIS ****S AWESOME

200273707gc · 07-16-2008, 08:53 PM

he was my uncle

Smurffy_ · 07-16-2008, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 200273707gc

he was my uncle

I'm sorry for your loss, may your uncle rest in peace. But keep in mind he's in a better place, and he's not hurting anymore. I'm sure he'll be missed in a lot of peoples minds and hearts. I'm sorry.

Five Fingered Fish · 07-16-2008, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crashfan3

A little random...
But yeah. War ****s you up.

omg Lawlz
my respects to the soldier...

200273707gc · 07-17-2008, 04:34 PM

07-7-2008, 07:52 PM	#1
200273707gc FFR Player Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 9	Soldier to be remembered. Overdose kills ex-Fort Bliss soldier By Stephanie Sanchez / El Paso Times Article Launched: 07/07/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT Joseph Dwyer was photographed in March 2003 carrying an Iraqi boy who had been injured during fighting. Dwyer died late last month. (Warren Zinn / Army Times) October 2005 Times story: Friends say man who fired shots has stress disorder Former Fort Bliss Army Spc. Joseph Dwyer, whose photograph depicting him carrying a wounded boy to safety during the first days of the ground war in Iraq became a symbol of the U.S. Army, died late last month of an overdose at home in North Carolina, Army officials and police said Sunday. Officials with the Pinehurst Police Department in North Carolina said no one would be available to talk about the ex-soldier's death until today, but Jean Offutt, a Fort Bliss spokesperson, said Fort Bliss officials were aware of the former soldier's death. The Army Times reported the day Dwyer died that he had apparently taken pills and inhaled the fumes from an aerosol can. "He was certainly a hero. ... He did have some difficulty dealing with it," Offutt said. She added that Dwyer was treated at Beaumont Army Medical Center. "It is certainly a tragedy." In 2003, Dwyer returned to Fort Bliss after serving four months in Iraq with the 3rd Squadron of the 7th Cavalry Regiment. A native of Mount Sinai, N.Y., he had joined the Army as a medic two days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, according to El Paso Times archives. During his tour in Iraq, an Army Times photographer captured Dwyer as he helped a young boy to safety after his family was caught in the crossfire of a -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- battle near Faysaliyah, Iraq. The photo ran in newspapers nationwide, including the El Paso Times. In October 2005, Dwyer's friends told the El Paso Times he had returned from the war a different person. At first he was a religious man, but then problems including drinking, sniffing inhalants and nightmares started occurring, his friends said. Dwyer suffered from post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, they said. Dwyer was involved an incident in early 2005 in which he crashed his car and said he saw a box he thought was a bomb in the middle of the street, his friends told the El Paso Times. In October 2005, he was arrested for shooting up his East El Paso apartment in which the police SWAT team negotiated with him for more than three hours. No one was hurt. Offutt said Dwyer's death should make people aware of PTSD symptoms. Details of Dwyer's mental-health history and treatment at Beaumont Army Medical Center were not available Sunday. "He served his country," Offutt said. "It is unfortunate that these things sometimes happen to soldiers when they return. Our thoughts are with his family, spouse and children." Valerie Miller Topp, a friend of Dwyer's, said she met him when Dwyer's wife, Matina, was pregnant with their daughter in 2005. "When I first met him he was heavily medicated. ... He didn't really talk much," she said. "As the pregnancy progressed he began to open up and talk more. They were just a really nice couple." Miller Topp said Dwyer said the couple moved to North Carolina from El Paso in 2006. "He (Dwyer) said, 'I just want to go fishing. I don't want anything to do with violence, guns or war. I just want to meet my daughter and go fishing,'" she said.

07-7-2008, 10:50 PM	#2
Crashfan3 FFR Player Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Jefferson, Ore. Age: 32 Posts: 2,937	Re: Soldier to be remembered. A little random... But yeah. War ****s you up. __________________ Twilight Sparkle's Ponyville Group Free Chiptune Streaming Radio! Thanks justin_ator and megamon88 for making my sig 20% cooler.

07-14-2008, 04:41 PM	#3
200273707gc FFR Player Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 9	Re: Soldier to be remembered. remember this soldier.

07-15-2008, 07:51 PM	#4
AppleTJ FFR Player Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: AL Posts: 3	Re: Soldier to be remembered. R.I.P

07-15-2008, 07:56 PM	#5
Grandiagod FFR Player Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Feaefaw Age: 35 Posts: 6,122	Re: Soldier to be remembered. The Army/marines/whatever try to make signing up seem so attractive, often omitting the fact that you can often be ****ing shot dead. __________________ He who angers you conquers you. ~Elizabeth Kenny

07-15-2008, 08:12 PM	#6
McLaReN212 FFR Player Join Date: Apr 2006 Age: 32 Posts: 901	Re: Soldier to be remembered. i think most people know that that is a possibility

07-15-2008, 08:15 PM	#7
Grandiagod FFR Player Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Feaefaw Age: 35 Posts: 6,122	Re: Soldier to be remembered. you'd be surprised about how little people know about the realities of war. Especially the uneducated lower income people they likes to recruit. I'm not saying that they don't know that they can be killed, but the military likes to keep the realities about the dangers and atrocities of war out of their flashy tv adds and recruiting pitches. __________________ He who angers you conquers you. ~Elizabeth Kenny

07-15-2008, 08:17 PM	#8
McLaReN212 FFR Player Join Date: Apr 2006 Age: 32 Posts: 901	Re: Soldier to be remembered. ah. well that does make sense though, it would get more people to be like YE THIS ****S AWESOME

07-16-2008, 08:53 PM	#9
200273707gc FFR Player Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 9	Re: Soldier to be remembered. he was my uncle

07-17-2008, 04:34 PM	#12
200273707gc FFR Player Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 9	Re: Soldier to be remembered. yea

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