knightroar
06-24-2005, 10:30 AM
Soldier shaken by death of brother ends own life
By ELIZABETH OWENS
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
June 23, 2005
Distraught over his older brother's death in Iraq and his own deployment this fall to the war zone, Justin "Paul" Byers purposely stepped in front of a pickup truck Monday night, ending his own life, officials said.
About an hour before Sgt. Casey Byers' funeral began Wednesday morning, Crawford County's medical examiner said he had ruled Justin Byers' death a suicide.
Casey Byers, 22, who died June 11, will become the first Iowan killed in Iraq to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, D.C.
During Wednesday's funeral for Casey Byers in Denison, an Iowa Army National Guard official read a statement 19-year-old Justin had written about his brother.
"I will not lie to you - I was always fighting with my brother and we never got along. My mom said we fought so much because we were very much alike," wrote Justin, who could have avoided going into combat because of his brother's death.
Justin, whose family lives in Schleswig, wrote that he would not cry for Casey because he knew his older brother was proud of what he died for. But Justin Byers, who was the family's spokesman following his brother's death, expressed regret that he never got to say goodbye to Casey or apologize for all the fighting.
"Yes, Casey, I'm exactly like you," Justin wrote.
Rachel Weinstein, a bereavement specialist in San Jose, Calif., said people sometimes have suicidal thoughts after the loss of a loved one.
Weinstein said Justin Byers probably had not taken the time to absorb what had happened to his brother.
"When you're busy, you can delay the absorption of your own reaction," Weinstein said. "He was grieving in his own way, but in many ways, he was probably insulated from the enormity of it."
Justin Byers died Monday night after he was hit by a pickup truck one mile west of Vail on U.S. Highway 30.
No identification or other items were found on Justin's body, said Dr. Dennis Crabb, Crawford County's medical examiner. He also said no alcohol was found at the accident scene. A toxicology report was not yet available, he said.
Crabb said officials concluded that the death was suicide because of the circumstances at the scene and the way Justin had been acting. Crabb said interviews with people who knew Justin showed that the teenager was upset about his brother's death and his impending deployment to Iraq in the fall.
The Iowa State Patrol continues to investigate the incident, Trooper Chuck Downing said. Downing said he still was conducting interviews and had 30 days to complete the investigation. He said he was piecing together Justin Byers' activities leading up to the accident.
He emphasized that the suicide ruling was the medical examiner's conclusion.
An official with Justin Byers' Sioux City Army Reserve transportation company said the Byers brothers' situation was rare. "This is the first incident I've heard of where a brother is killed and another one is eligible," said Dan Tibbetts, unit administrator.
It had not been decided whether Justin Byers would be sent to Iraq, said Teresa Smith, a unit administrator with the U.S. Army Reserve in Sac City. Smith said Justin Byers would have fallen under the Army's regulation regarding a sole surviving son or daughter.
The policy states that if one or more family members have died as a result of serving in the U.S. armed forces, the surviving son or daughter can request a discharge. Smith said that Justin and his parents were notified about the policy, but had not acted on it.
Lt. Col. Gregory Hapgood, an Iowa National Guard spokesman, said two people are sent to the homes of families who lose loved ones in war. He said the families are offered counseling and other assistance. "Virtually every family has said yes" to the help, Hapgood said.
Weinstein, the San Jose bereavement specialist, said the way Justin Byers dealt with his brother's death was likely influenced by his role in the military.
"The way that our culture promotes men and the military is that they're good at what they do because they're not going to react emotionally," Weinstein said.
Funeral arrangements are pending for Justin Byers, who is survived by his parents, Ann and Bill Byers, and sister, Jen.
Register staff writer Lynn Campbell contributed to this article.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050623/NEWS11/506230381
By ELIZABETH OWENS
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
June 23, 2005
Distraught over his older brother's death in Iraq and his own deployment this fall to the war zone, Justin "Paul" Byers purposely stepped in front of a pickup truck Monday night, ending his own life, officials said.
About an hour before Sgt. Casey Byers' funeral began Wednesday morning, Crawford County's medical examiner said he had ruled Justin Byers' death a suicide.
Casey Byers, 22, who died June 11, will become the first Iowan killed in Iraq to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, D.C.
During Wednesday's funeral for Casey Byers in Denison, an Iowa Army National Guard official read a statement 19-year-old Justin had written about his brother.
"I will not lie to you - I was always fighting with my brother and we never got along. My mom said we fought so much because we were very much alike," wrote Justin, who could have avoided going into combat because of his brother's death.
Justin, whose family lives in Schleswig, wrote that he would not cry for Casey because he knew his older brother was proud of what he died for. But Justin Byers, who was the family's spokesman following his brother's death, expressed regret that he never got to say goodbye to Casey or apologize for all the fighting.
"Yes, Casey, I'm exactly like you," Justin wrote.
Rachel Weinstein, a bereavement specialist in San Jose, Calif., said people sometimes have suicidal thoughts after the loss of a loved one.
Weinstein said Justin Byers probably had not taken the time to absorb what had happened to his brother.
"When you're busy, you can delay the absorption of your own reaction," Weinstein said. "He was grieving in his own way, but in many ways, he was probably insulated from the enormity of it."
Justin Byers died Monday night after he was hit by a pickup truck one mile west of Vail on U.S. Highway 30.
No identification or other items were found on Justin's body, said Dr. Dennis Crabb, Crawford County's medical examiner. He also said no alcohol was found at the accident scene. A toxicology report was not yet available, he said.
Crabb said officials concluded that the death was suicide because of the circumstances at the scene and the way Justin had been acting. Crabb said interviews with people who knew Justin showed that the teenager was upset about his brother's death and his impending deployment to Iraq in the fall.
The Iowa State Patrol continues to investigate the incident, Trooper Chuck Downing said. Downing said he still was conducting interviews and had 30 days to complete the investigation. He said he was piecing together Justin Byers' activities leading up to the accident.
He emphasized that the suicide ruling was the medical examiner's conclusion.
An official with Justin Byers' Sioux City Army Reserve transportation company said the Byers brothers' situation was rare. "This is the first incident I've heard of where a brother is killed and another one is eligible," said Dan Tibbetts, unit administrator.
It had not been decided whether Justin Byers would be sent to Iraq, said Teresa Smith, a unit administrator with the U.S. Army Reserve in Sac City. Smith said Justin Byers would have fallen under the Army's regulation regarding a sole surviving son or daughter.
The policy states that if one or more family members have died as a result of serving in the U.S. armed forces, the surviving son or daughter can request a discharge. Smith said that Justin and his parents were notified about the policy, but had not acted on it.
Lt. Col. Gregory Hapgood, an Iowa National Guard spokesman, said two people are sent to the homes of families who lose loved ones in war. He said the families are offered counseling and other assistance. "Virtually every family has said yes" to the help, Hapgood said.
Weinstein, the San Jose bereavement specialist, said the way Justin Byers dealt with his brother's death was likely influenced by his role in the military.
"The way that our culture promotes men and the military is that they're good at what they do because they're not going to react emotionally," Weinstein said.
Funeral arrangements are pending for Justin Byers, who is survived by his parents, Ann and Bill Byers, and sister, Jen.
Register staff writer Lynn Campbell contributed to this article.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050623/NEWS11/506230381