[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 39 (Thursday, March 5, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H3030]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        TAKING CARE OF OUR NATION'S VETERANS--LCPL JEREMY SMERUD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, our Nation has asked many of its military 
personnel to serve in Iraq and in Afghanistan to fight for freedom and 
for the protection of the American people. Unfortunately, many of these 
servicemembers are returning home with symptoms of post-traumatic 
stress disorder--PTSD--and other mental health challenges.
  A 2008 study by the RAND Corporation found that nearly 20 percent of 
Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have symptoms of PTSD or major 
depression. This study also found that many servicemembers say they do 
not seek treatment for psychological illnesses because they fear it 
will harm their careers. If our government and the military fail to 
address problems associated with PTSD, the situation will only grow 
worse in future years.
  One disturbing example involves Lance Corporal Jeremy Smerud, a 
marine who is stationed in my district at Camp Lejeune.
  Last month, I received a letter from his mother, who is very 
concerned about how the Marine Corps is treating her son. Mr. Speaker, 
for the second time, I would like to read the letter from Jeremy's 
mother:
  ``My son joined the Marine Corps while still in high school. I 
remember him as a little boy, looking in awe of his grandfather in his 
Marine Corps uniform and telling me that was what he was going to be 
when he grew up.
  ``Growing up, Jeremy was the son every parent could be proud of. He 
never got into any trouble in school. He was always there to help with 
his younger siblings, held a job after school, and was extremely active 
in the Boy Scouts. He earned his rank of Eagle Scout at the age of 16. 
Because of his Eagle Scout status, he entered the Marine Corps as a PFC 
and quickly rose to the rank of sergeant within his first 3 years in 
the Marines. He was an exemplary marine and an exemplary young man.
  ``If you review his military records, you can plainly see that Jeremy 
had no problems with behavior or performance prior to his deployment to 
Iraq and Afghanistan. He has had a very difficult time readjusting to 
life after the conflict. He came home to a `Dear John' letter, has had 
several friends injured and killed, and has seen more destruction than 
most of us will in a lifetime. Having no one to turn to for help 
because of the stigma and the fear of losing his career, he started 
drinking to self-medicate and to be able to sleep.
  ``Congressman, do you know what it is like to listen to your once 
strong son cry like a baby at 3:30 in the morning 3 or 4 times a week 
because he cannot handle what he has been through? Wanting to kill 
himself because he doesn't feel he is worthy to live because his 
brothers were shot? Do you know what it's like to be 1,500 miles away 
and not have the ability to help him through this, all the while 
wondering and asking why the Corps he so proudly served and willingly 
has written him off as worthless and weak and has offered no help to 
prevent him from faltering further?
  ``I am so desperately disappointed in the way the Corps has treated 
my son. My son left the Marine Corps 100 percent intact. He will be 
leaving the Marine Corps with two feet that are fractured, back and 
knee problems, decreased hearing, decreased vision, and PTSD that will 
carry a life-long burden for him.
  ``Yet, according to the Corps, he has disgraced them by his behavior 
and is no longer worthy. The way I see this, they used him, abused him, 
now will discard him and find some fresh, young man who isn't tainted, 
and they will mold him and ask him to sacrifice himself for their 
cause, and when he is no longer of use to them, they will discard him 
as well.
  ``I hope with all my heart the Marine Corps will find the moral 
courage to do the right thing when it comes to not only Jeremy but all 
other young men and women who need their help and guidance.''
  Mr. Speaker, I along with Congressman Tom Latham have written the 
Commandant of the Marine Corps about this marine who is pending 
Involuntary Administrative Separation due to misconduct. Lance Corporal 
Smerud's fitness report proved that he was an outstanding marine prior 
to his deployments. His medical board report states, ``His service in 
the Marine Corps caused his PTSD and indirectly his incidents/legal 
problems. The Marine Corps' failure to treat him in the past and treat 
him appropriately has done nothing but worsen the problem.''
  Mr. Speaker, it will be difficult for this marine to succeed in life 
if he is administratively separated from the Service. He will not be 
eligible for TRICARE benefits; he will have difficulty obtaining a job, 
and it is unlikely that a university will accept him as a student. This 
is a story of one marine, but this is not an isolated problem. The 
culture within all branches of Service must change to recognize that 
PTSD is a real concern that must be addressed.
  Mr. Speaker, as I close, I want to say that I have great faith in the 
Marine Corps and in all of our Services. I ask the Marine Corps to 
please look into this case and all cases of those who have PTSD. They 
deserve the love, and they deserve the treatment of this Nation. With 
that, Mr. Speaker, I ask God to continue to bless our men and women in 
uniform, to bless the families who have given their loved one in 
Afghanistan and in Iraq--those who have died--and to bless the wounded, 
and I ask God to continue to bless America.

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