PINEHURST, N.C. - A former Army medic made famous by a photograph that showed him carrying an injured Iraqi boy during the first week of the war in March 2003 has died of an apparent overdose, police said.
The photograph of Joseph Patrick Dwyer running to a makeshift military hospital while cradling the boy appeared in newspapers, magazines and television broadcasts worldwide.
Dwyer died late last month at a hospital in Pinehurst, according to the Boles Funeral Home. He was 31.
After the photo was published, Dwyer laughed when a reporter told him of its widespread circulation and tried to deflect focus to his entire unit. His mother, Maureen, said then that the photo embarrassed her son because it singled him out while other soldiers were doing the same thing.
On June 28, Dwyer called a local taxi service to take him to the hospital after an apparent overdose, Capt. Floyd Thomas of the Pinehurst Police Department told the Fayetteville Observer. When the driver arrived, Dwyer said he couldn't get to the door, according to a police report.
Police kicked in the door at Dwyer's request, and he was taken by ambulance to a Pinehurst hospital. Thomas said bottles of prescription pills were found near Dwyer when police arrived. The former medic died later that night, according to authorities.
Dwyer served with the 3rd Squadron of the 7th Cavalry Regiment of Fort Stewart, Ga. He earned the Combat Medical Badge and other military awards.
Associated Press updated 12:15 p.m. MT, Tues., July. 8, 2008
God Bless all of you who have served even one day in a war. I will never understand the fear and the dedication you have experienced. Thank you for taking care of our great country.
3 comments:
Indeed.
It is SHAMEFUL how little our government is providing for our soldiers once they return. They aren't receiving adequate counseling for what they've been through and there's just no excuse for it.
sigh. That's why it's important to vote for someone (OBAMA!!!) who is going to stop sending troops over there and bring the ones who are there HOME.
When I saw that I teared up and it breaks my heart too. When I see people in uniform, I thank them and they always seem surprised. At the grocery store a few days ago, I saw a beautiful comvertible with Marine Corps emblem on the plate. The owner, a man in his late 30s, was putting away groceries. I complimented him on his car, asked if he was in the Marines, and thanked him when he said he was. He simply said with a rather slight smile, "you're welcome, Mam."
They know what they do is necessary.
I do the same thing. Even people who are vets and aren't involved in the current wars. It's so important to let them know how much we appreciate what they've done.
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