Man Down! – Suicide Scene Cleanup: In order to protect current and future inhabitants of a dwelling, professional technicians should be called in to clean and sanitize any trauma site.
We take pride in knowing that not only can we help restore your home but we can give you a little peace of mind after tragic circumstances lead us to you.
We do a lot of work in Washington D.C. With all the monuments celebrating great people and historic events it’s easy to remember that all the freedoms we enjoy come at a great price. Every single day members of our armed forces put themselves in the line of fire to preserve those freedoms and to try to ensure them for others. For that we give them the ultimate respect for their duty and sacrifice.
Unfortunately, respect doesn’t help the men and women that return from deployments cope with the problems that they struggle with. The readjustment to civilian life after spending time deployed can be just as difficult as dealing with the horrors of war for some of these brave people.
Sadly, even though our soldiers can leave the active combat zones, the memories of the atrocities witnessed can haunt them upon their return.
Some are unable to cope with it and see suicide as their only way out.
We got a call from a homeowner in D.C. who needed help restoring his home. His tenant had unfortunately ended his own life. We grabbed our equipment and headed out to this small middle class home.
Upon arrival we were immediately greeted by the homeowner who thanked us for such a prompt response. While being led inside he explained to us that his tenant was a young Marine who had served 4 consecutive tours in Iraq before he was honorably discharged after suffering a severe injury that nearly cost him his leg. That same blast also took 4 of his Marine brothers and the homeowner felt that his tenant was carrying the weight of their deaths with him.
Even though the Marine was receiving counseling to help adjust to civilian life the progress he made quickly regressed and the Marine ended up going into a dark spiral of depression of which he was unable to recover.
Standing in this man’s bedroom I stared at the aftermath of this man’s broken life. He ended it with as much dignity he could muster. He put on his dress uniform, carefully left his last letters on the bed then shot himself in the head with a small pistol. There was blood and brain matter left all over the walls and floor and in the puddle on the floor laid a silver laptop with USMC written on it.
Scenes like this really underscore the need for professional assistance in clean up. Not only are there risks in the bio-hazardous materials we had to dispose of but the strength of the cleaners needed to properly sanitize a scene are strong enough to pose a risk if not handled correctly.
During the job I couldn’t lose this feeling of sadness and despair. Suicides are always tragic but when it happens to one of our heroes it cuts to the core. Here was a man who fought for us and others in another country 4 separate times. He spent every day protecting his brothers and sisters-in-arms and the loss of them was so great to him that he gave up the fight, alone in his bedroom.
If the mental scars of war were as visible as the physical ones then maybe we could more easily get our vets the help they deserve upon their return home. My job is tough but compared to what this man did it seems like nothing. Semper Fi, Marine. Your bravery will never be forgotten.
If you or someone you know needs the services of Advanced Bio Treatment just know that we are here 24/7. Call us for answers, guidance or immediate service at 800-295-1684