Before signing off his Web page on MySpace.com Monday, Army Pvt. Dylan Meyer typed a farewell note to the world.
“Jesus, I don’t know if any of you have heard what has happened to me yet, but I just want to remind you not to be sad. Laugh, that’s what lifes about,” Meyer wrote. “When it is all said and done … it is the ones you love who you will remember.”
The next morning, Meyer was found dead in the Army barracks at Fort Gordon in Georgia. He was 20.
Meyer joined the Army early last year to get some direction. The decision surprised friends who knew Meyer disliked President Bush and opposed the war in Iraq.
Meyer soon became miserable in the Army, where he worked in a military intelligence unit.
On April 21, Meyer made one last movie that he added to his MySpace site, a short film about Army life he called Bored As Hell: A Weekend at Ft. Gordon. The movie shows soldiers listening to music, drinking Jack Daniels out of the bottle and playing hacky-sack. It ends with two messages of white script on a black screen.
The first reads: “Dedicated to America’s Youth. Go to college and lead a normal life. Don’t make the same mistake I did.”
The second ends: “And fucking vote. Don’t let old people run your lives, you have a choice.“
Just above his last message at his blog — under Dylan’s Blurbs — his mother has added a note.
Well in my mind, he died with honor. Japanese warriors rather take their life than have their dignity taken.
A noble act.
Change doesn’t come from mtv tellin you to rock the vote, it come from real life events that get things started.
“Well in my mind, he died with honor. Japanese warriors rather take their life than have their dignity taken.
A noble act.”
Please.
No one forced him to join the army; he made the decision himself (we have an all-volunteer force, remember?) Instead of owning up to that decision, he commits suicide. There’s no nobility in that, only cowardice.
Just curious, should this ever makes a big noise on the news will Rumsfeld make a mockery of the kid just like he always do?
“No one forced him to join the army; he made the decision himself (we have an all-volunteer force, remember?) Instead of owning up to that decision, he commits suicide. There’s no nobility in that, only cowardice. ”
The USA does indeed have an all volunteer group of soldiers, that are primarily poor. Many see the military as a way out, maybe the only way out without going to jail.
I do not agree with him commiting suicide, but this is a symptom of a larger problem. Our goverment uses the servicepeople to perform military actions, then forgets how to take care of them while they are doing it. Not to mention all of the cuts made to services after they exit the military. This man needed mental help, but this is not something the military allows to happen without the soldier that is recieving it being labeled WEAK. And weakness is frowned upon in the military. That is taught to them from day one in basic training. It is sad that our military fails so miserably at providing what the troops need.
Support our troops, Bring them home ASAP.
“The USA does indeed have an all volunteer group of soldiers, that are primarily poor.”
Please. While there is a portion of the military that come from poor areas the military has a population that didn’t need the money when they joined.
I read a statistic from the Washington Post a while back that up to 50% of the military come from economically depressed areas. Well heck, I could I wrote the article with the spin that 50% of the people who joined the military are well off and didn’t need the money.
What’s this proving?
Have you spent any time in the military? I would bet no. I am guessing that you are making a statement off the hip based off a popular generalization.
..and by the way the military no longer accepts people to …either join the military or go to jail. Todays military is no longer set up to reform criminals.
To call a victim of suicide a coward shows a lack of understanding about depression. Most people who commit suicide are depressed and not responsible for the act.Do a little reading on the subject it may change your opinion.
This really isn’t about the military. This is about someone almost my age that obviously had problems BEFORE he joined. That no one in his family or anywhere else noticed is a shame.
He failed himself and others failed him as well. As any of you that work in a large company know, people get ignored unless their behavior is really out of the box……the military is the same, only more so. But to blame anyone but him for his actions is wrong. He obviously had a mind, and 2 feet, both would have taken him to help if he wished.
To say the military dosen’t give soldiers what they need, is a smoke screen. Everything they need for physical or psychological needs are there. My God, this guy wasn’t in Iraq or Afganistan, he was in Georgia for crying out loud, help was available to him on base or off, if he wanted it.
The shame is that someone felt that suicide was the answer.
The “shame” is that people can’t understand that not everyone loves life.
Mental illness is something that you can argue about all day. There’s a good chance that someone who hasn’t had one might think it’s just an excuse to be a “coward” or to be lazy. But mental illness or not, if you don’t love life why should you be forced to live it just because others find suicide distasteful? Some folks would rather be themselves and be six feet under than take a pill and turn into someone else.
Does anyone care about a guy who committed suicide with http://myspace-088.vo.llnwd.net/00486/88/07/486027088_l.jpg as one of his pictures on his myspace?
I knew dylan meyer. He was a friend of mine. I am also a soldier. We went through training together in fort huachuca. Having been in for about two years now, i can tell you that certain people should not be in the army. not just because they are weak minded or anything like that, but there are some people who are just…..better. They have potential and they KNOW it. Dylan was one of those people. He looked down upon the army because there are alot of stupid people who are under the impression that because they have rank, they are important. Dylan saw past this. I know dylan disliked the army, but i never saw this coming……..
You guys are absolute fools for coming on this blog and slandering a person you’ve probably never even met. I am Dylan’s brother and let me tell you that Dylan is the most special person I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. Dylan’s real problem was that he saw things too clearly. He say all the hypocricy in our world and it killed him every day. Dylan believed in a better world, a world he knew he would never see.
Are you kidding me joshua? The soldiers have everything they need? There was just an article in newsweek saying that the military didn’t have enough funds for pschological disorders of any kind and they are trying to filter the amount of soldiers seeking help so that it is only the most extreme cases of stress and “gulf war syndrome” read up on ur shit before you start saying something.
Suicide is a symptom of Epigenetic illness; plain and simple! The military just selects out, those most likely to aquire this trait, by default. The dark circles around the eyes, and obsessive tendancies, are a clue to a bigger problem. The Juggarnaut! A single thought that doesn’t stop. Doesn’t matter what the thought realy is. It can be; to beat your wife, run from the cops, kill someone, or even do something positive. OCD is a bad thing, when that obsessive compulsion is self destruction. Learn a bit about TILT, and chemical intolerance(imbalance), and Epigenetics. Leave the personal responsibility, blame, and head shrinkers; out of the equation. Suicide has a physiological basis, in the symptomology of Epigenetic illness. Civilians kill themselves in the streets as well. Blame the Tiltmonster(TILT)….AS FAR AS GETTING HELP…..BY ANY AGENCY. GOOD LUCK!
Obviously there is no help; until the physical dicotomy is unraveled. That will not hapen; while placing blame, pointing fingers, and political posturing. Suicide has a genetic profile.
y that is what i need to know u had a long life ahead of u i know that your family is just…. can not finish u left people that loved u so much if u had kids it was wrong 4 u to kill your self . i will pray for them and they will never kno who there dad was as a man that is all i have to say i never new my dad cause he is locked up u hac a change to have a life with your kids and u blow by killing yourself.
I don’t know how you assholes can comment on someone you know NOTHING about. The sad part of all this is that someone is dead… A friend, a brother, a son!!! His motives are of no one’s business and certainly should not be discussed in public forum. I knew Dylan, I loved him, he was one of the most special, brilliant people I have ever had the oppertunity to know and anyone who has anything disrespectful to say about him can go fuck themselves