Behind Every Number is a Name: My Brother’s Story
- Permian Warrior Partnership
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
A Profound Issue with No Boundaries
Statistics reveal a heartbreaking reality: many estimate that approximately twenty-two veterans die by suicide each day. Veteran suicide is a pandemic that cuts across every race, age group, and economic class, impacting families and communities in every corner of the nation. It is a profound issue with no boundaries, and it hits families like mine, making the need for awareness and action deeply personal.
A Family Dedicated to Service
Jeremy was the youngest of four children born to our mother, Sylvia M. Macias, who raised all of us to serve our country. My brother Robert and I enlisted in the Army, while Gilbert and Jeremy chose the Marine Corps.
Unlike my brothers, I did not experience combat, but they did. Gilbert was deployed to Iraq in 2003 for his first and only tour. Robert followed in 2004, and on April 4th of that year, during the battle known as “Black Sunday,” he was killed along with seven others.
Jeremy’s Journey and Struggle
Jeremy returned home for a few years after his initial service, but in 2008, the Marine Corps called him back for deployment. During this time, Jeremy began to experience the early stages of PTSD and anxiety—struggles that would greatly affect his life. He contacted the VA multiple times and tried various medications, but unfortunately, these efforts did not bring relief. To make matters worse, his father died tragically in 1994, Robert passed away in 2004, and he also lost a close friend and Marine Corps brother.
Jeremy’s world became very dark. When he returned home, he would sometimes sleep on the couch, and if he heard a noise, he would get up to check around his house. He was also coping with significant physical pain along with everything else. My brother had a strong support system, a steady job, a loving family, and a sense of purpose. That’s the most important part: purpose. From the outside, it looked like he had all the ingredients for a successful transition to civilian life.
On September 04, 2015, Jeremy took his own life, just two days before his 32nd birthday. This tragedy left our family with more questions than answers. The grief was overwhelming, like nothing we had felt since losing Robert. I believe that if he had made that phone call before his fateful decision, we would have come together and fought for him, just as we had done before, because that’s what my family has always done for each other. It was already like that before we all joined the military, but after that, the sense of brotherhood and devotion only grew stronger.
Jeremy’s Legacy and a Promise Made to Stay
I remember the moment my brother Gilbert and I had a phone call after hearing about our baby brother’s death, and we sat there crying and promising each other we would do whatever it takes to stay alive. Life became dark, sad, and lonely. It was the most challenging journey for all of us. We, as a family, see life so differently now.
The best way to honor our brother’s life is to share the love, joy, and hope we now have. Jeremy’s story and others like it are worth sharing. We do everything we can to bring attention to the struggles faced by most of our nation’s military. We share the light that helped our family find its way through the darkness that threatened to overwhelm us. This long road to redemption is marked by its share of ups and downs. My brother’s legacy of love, sacrifice, and courage will live on through those of us left behind.
Where Do We Go from Here?
There is hope out there. Organizations and people are willing to help carry the load when we feel we can’t. The most powerful message we can spread is to reach out, make that phone call, and know we need you here. The world would not be better off without you. We got your SIX! Let’s take it day by day.
Two of the most powerful words I have ever heard in my darkest moments were “just stay!”
Just stay one more day when you feel in the throes of the darkness. Just stay one more day, and when you make it through that day, stay another. There is a wealth of resources at our disposal, which America's Warrior Partnership and its branches nationwide, such as Permian Warrior Partnership, can help provide.
Don’t just stand on the sidelines while our military families lose brothers, sisters, dads, moms, sons, and daughters.
If you know a vet, tell a vet® about PWP or donate to power the mission. It could save a life like my brother Jeremy.
*This article was written by a guest contributor, Angel Munoz. The views expressed are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Permian Warrior Partnership.