Bad news...I know we talked to this veteran about the issues he was having. Could we have done more?

2014-07-10T06:53:01-04:00

A man was struck and killed by an eastbound train early Saturday morning and The Dalles City Police are awaiting toxicology reports to see if he was under the influence of alcohol or narcotics.

Shon Hill, 39, of Ione, was found dead near the tracks at First and Union streets by emergency responders shortly after 4 a.m. July 5.

He was reportedly lying in the railroad right-of-way when he was hit by a Union Pacific freight train, according to Detective Doug Kramer.

Hill was on foot after having his vehicle impounded by Oregon State Police in Hood River following a DUI arrest July 4.

He had been transported to the Northern Oregon Regional Correctional Facilities but an undisclosed medical condition prevented him from being kept in jail.

After being taken to Mid-Columbia Medical Center in The Dalles for treatment, Hill was cited by OSP and released about 9:30 p.m. Friday.

Kramer said it is not known where Hill went or what he did in the intervening hours between his release from the hospital and the incident that led to his death.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 10 at 2014 7:01 AM

2014-07-10T07:01:42-04:00

SFC Drake, while this is tragic as is any loss of life, I personally feel that Shon had a support system in place, and it was working. I personally feel that sometimes fate takes control and there is nothing that we can do about it.

We as an online community only knew what he told us, and I DO feel that any and everybody here did everything that they thought was sufficient. Obviously something more could have been done or he would still be with us today, but the question remains, By who?

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends and hope that they can all find peace within.

Response by SSG Robert Burns made Jul 10 at 2014 10:09 AM

2014-07-10T10:09:04-04:00

This really bothers me. I reached out to this Soldier and gave him my personal cell phone number to contact me. Others contacted him as well and offered the help he was soliciting.
I've been in several situations just like this. Some Soldier's snap out of it and some don't. I've been blamed directly by family members for "not doing enough" to save their son. It sickens me. They have no idea what we go through and the extensive measures we go to to help them.
I have mixed feelings about suicide as I see it as a selfish act, especially for those with families. I know sometimes people just cant find a way out and don't know what else to do and get stuck in a thinking trap.
Is there more I could have done for Hill? IS there more we could have done for him? Or did he simply make his decision that he saw no way out?
Many of us are going through the same things, so he was not alone.

Response by SGT Ben Keen made Jul 10 at 2014 10:19 AM

2014-07-10T10:19:36-04:00

Many of us reached out to him. Sending him messages, cell phone numbers, email addresses, etc. When I saw the post earlier today, my heart sunk in my chest and I had to go for a quick walk outside my office. Here is the one thing we all must remember; there is only so much we can do. You can offer help, sit down with the person, whatever but in the end, that person is in control of his/her actions. While it makes my heart heavy each time I read about another brother or sister-in-arms taking their own life I cannot beat myself up too much. I've done that in the past only to realize I've done everything I could to try and help but again, they are in control.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 10 at 2014 11:01 AM

2014-07-10T11:01:23-04:00

I want to thank you for caring and asking what further can be done. That said, there is only so much a person can do. Professional help first and then what the community may do. I am not sure that incarceration has ever been the solution in helping people.

Response by CPT Richard Riley made Jul 10 at 2014 1:17 PM

2014-07-10T13:17:27-04:00

We can all second guess what we did, was it enough, could we have done something more? I have to believe that each person who reached out did the best and all they could. I am aware that several members attempted to contact him directly either by phone or message and I do know he responded in kind. I was given the impression that he made some progress in his personal battle. Not any one of us can force another to 'get help' or change their life.
The things we CAN do we did, offer support on multiple different levels, reach out to them & let them know that they do not have to walk the path alone. The posted story has as many questions as it has answers. Life is invariably unpredictable, has its ups and downs.
I am not going to question whether or not we did all we could. I am going to accept that we did our utmost and best to help him - just as we will for any other member who asks. I do not believe there is any benefit in pointing a finger or believing that if we had just done something different, the result would have been different. I am human just as we all are.
Sadly SGT Hill made a decision or a series of decisions that culminated in him arriving at this destination. I don't think anything else I could have done would change that.
I send my thoughts and prayers to his family, realizing that no one can explain or make any sense out of the results ..... so I do what I can to learn from this and know that he will now rest from the battle that was raging inside him.

Response by SPC Charles Brown made Jul 10 at 2014 2:29 PM

2014-07-10T14:29:18-04:00

I had just spoken to him a few day prior to this. We were setting up a meeting between the two of us since I live in Klamath Falls, OR. He had told me he would be down this way in just a few days and that we would go to the VFW. This is a total shock, He was, in my opinion, a good man and will be missed. RIP Doc.

Response by SSG Robert Burns made Jul 10 at 2014 2:39 PM

2014-07-10T14:39:01-04:00

This is the only article I could find on the incident. It's the same as what SFC A.M. Drake posted.
http://www.thedalleschronicle.com/news/2014/jul/08/man-dies-when-struck-train/

Man dies when struck by train

A man was struck and killed by an eastbound train early Saturday morning and The Dalles City Police are awaiting toxicology reports to see if he was under the influence of alcohol or narcotics.

Response by CW2 Ernest Krutzsch made Jul 10 at 2014 11:00 PM

2014-07-10T23:00:32-04:00

No, as is true with anything, we can be a force and we can influence, but no matter what we say or do, the final decision is on the individual. Could more have been done, Probably, should we take on this burden, No..We did what we thought was appropriate, it failed in this case, but in how many other cases did it succeed?

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 10 at 2014 11:13 PM

2014-07-10T23:13:46-04:00

I read about Shon earlier this morning when his girlfriend posted on his screen name. Unfortunately, I did not know Shon at all but I was still very saddened by his passing. My prayers and condolences go out to his family and friends.

As I sat there reading the post and then reading the article, I went from sad to frustration to anger. The latter two emotions are from seeing and knowing the struggles fellow service-members go through. I too struggle with depression and anxiety for a multitude of reasons. This is hard to admit in a public forum but I have sought help for my own issues. The overall problem I see though is WAY too many people think they know what is going on, when in actuality they don't. Sadly, too many jump on the "they're selfish" or "they're a coward" bandwagon. Negative criticism such as this does NOTHING to help those who do need help. How many truly do want to help? I don't mean that sarcastically or to be insulting. I mean it seriously. Are you REALLY wanting to help the person or are you just saying it? Here's a huge clue. The help that many people need is the help THEY need not the help others THINK they need. Talk to the individual instead of just "being there". Help to solve the problems, whatever they may be.

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Jul 17 at 2014 9:01 PM

2014-07-17T21:01:29-04:00

Everyone's emotional state is unique and from all indications, Shon's judgment was impaired. How well he was responding to his treatment and how much of that treatment he was accepting, we may not know. Yes, many people reached out to our brother to help, but still he met a tragic end. None of us have walked in Shon's combat boots nor carried his rucksack, so it's impossible to say what was going on inside him in the days and hours before he was called home.