War is Hell
By Katie Kieffer
TownHall.com
Raechel Richards walked into her Jacksonville, FL
home on August 13 to find the love of her life,
retired Marine sniper, Sgt. Robert Richards, lying
dead on their floor. He was only 28 years old.
Rob Richards was too young to die. Strong, smart and
kind—he had enormous talent and potential. He gave
everything he had during his repeat deployments to
Afghanistan during which he suffered severe
IED-inflicted wounds and incurred TBI. Tragically,
the cause of his death appears to be an adverse
reaction to the drugs treating his pain and PTSD.
Most Americans have never heard Rob’s full story. I
wish to honor him by fulfilling a wish he expressed
while he was alive: that his story be widely shared
for the sake of improving the lives of his fellow
Marines and all our troops and veterans.
Rob gained undeserved notoriety when a coward and
traitor leaked a private video to the media in
January of 2012. The video clip showed Rob and three
other Marines urinating on the dead bodies of
Taliban thugs. Then-Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton and the current administration immediately
condemned Rob without taking the time to learn his
full story.
Over a year ago, in May of 2013, I had the honor of
getting to know Rob and his family and was
privileged to be entrusted with telling his story in
written form. Over the next several months, I
interviewed the Richards’ family, friends and
counsel (Guy Womack and Geoff Womack) many times.
I distinctly remember one beautiful fall day:
September 26, 2013. The warm afternoon sun darted
among leaves rustling in the breeze and dazzling in
hues of orange, red and gold. I was outside enjoying
a run after writing for most of the day. My iPhone
buzzed, alerting me to a new email from Rob
Richards. I had been waiting for this; I needed
Rob’s approval before I could publish his story.
Though I’d spent months researching and fine-tuning,
I was a bit nervous to read his feedback because it
was challenging to do Rob’s character justice with
mere words.
Rob’s response revealed the strength of his moral
fiber. He could have requested any sort of change to
the story. After all, it was his story. Yet, he only
expressed appreciation and humility. He wrote:
“…your chapter is outstanding! Thank you again for
just getting the story out there and let me know if
you need anything else from me and I'll gladly
assist you in anyway I can. Thank you.”
Fighting a war in the real world is far different
from playing Call of Duty Black Ops II or watching
Saving Private Ryan from the comfort of a leather
couch. War—as only our troops and veterans know
firsthand—is a gruesome, messy state of affairs.
None of us who have not served (think wannabe
President of the United States Hillary Clinton) are
fit to judge the actions of Marines when they make a
mistake in the heat of battle.
Rob had the build of a bodybuilder. His voice was
confident and upbeat. But when a Marine Corps Times
reporter asked him to describe his mindset on the
day leading up to the event depicted on the video,
his legs visibly shook as he described what he had
witnessed. Before urinating on the deceased
terrorists, he had seen them strewing his buddies’
appendages in tree branches.
Rob suffered from PTSD as well as intense physical
pain from his combat wounds. He was treated with a
cocktail of drugs, including some that for a time
intensified his TBI.
Before we send our brave troops into repeat foreign
engagements with nebulous rules of engagement, we
must allow our troops a healing respite. On August
8, scientists Dr. William Schlenger, Dr. Nida Corry,
and Dr. Norah Mulvaney-Day presented their
preliminary findings for the National Vietnam
Veterans Longitudinal Study. After following Vietnam
veterans for the past 25 years, these scientists
found that the symptoms of PTSD can linger for more
than two decades after a soldier returns home; that
PTSD nearly doubles a soldier’s risk of death; and
that PTSD increases a soldier’s risk for cancer.
"The study's key takeaway is that for some, PTSD is
not going away. It is chronic and prolonged, and for
veterans with PTSD, the war is not over," said Dr.
Schlenger.
Prolific poet Thomas Campbell once wrote, “To live
in hearts we leave behind is not to die.” Indeed,
Rob did not die. His courage, example and story live
on in our hearts and will improve our world.
Rob’s friend and attorney, retired Lieutenant
Colonel of Marines Guy Womack, shared with me that
after Rob’s August 22 funeral service and cremation
at Bay Pines National Cemetery in St. Petersburg,
“Rob's ashes will be placed in a 7.62mm Ammo can, as
befits a Scout Sniper! Raechel will take the ashes
home and keep them until the interment at Arlington
National Cemetery in Washington, DC.”
If you wish to contribute to Rob’s legacy and
support his wife Raechel, please visit the
Sgt. Rob
Richards Memorial Fund. I also encourage you to
read and tell your friends the full story of Rob
Richards. He wanted his story to be shared in hopes
that his suffering could help improve the lives of
our troops, veterans and their families. His story
is in Ch. 7 of the new book, Let Me Be Clear.
Semper Fi, Sgt. Robert Richards. Thank you for your
service. May you rest in peace.