Chief Special Warfare Operator William Chad “Bill” Mulder, a highly decorated US Navy SEAL, died on June 9, 2017, in Boerne, Texas, 127 days after retiring from the Navy in January 2017.
He was a combat veteran of multiple overseas deployments and received numerous awards, including three Bronze Stars with Valor, a Joint Service Commendation Medal with Valor, and others. According to accounts from his widow Sydney and the SEAL community, Mulder struggled with the cumulative effects of combat, including PTSD, traumatic brain injury, insomnia, anxiety, and related issues. On the day of his death, he was on a FaceTime call with his family when he showed a firearm and ended 🕊️ his life; police later found him in his vehicle in a parking lot. The Navy SEAL Foundation and other sources have publicly described his death as resulting from service-connected wounds.
He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. His story prompted congressional action, including the Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer William “Bill” Mulder (Ret.) Transition Improvement Act, aimed at improving support for veterans during the transition out of the military.
#PTSDAwarness #PTSDVeterans #NAVYSEAL #USNAVY #RIP
October 23, 1983. A date forever etched in the hearts of United States Marines.
Forty-three years ago, a terrorist drove a truck loaded with explosives into the Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 241 American service members, including 220 Marines, 18 sailors, and 3 soldiers.
They were sons, brothers, husbands, fathers, and friends. Young Americans who had answered their country’s call, never knowing they would never see home again.
For those of us who have worn the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, Beirut is not just another tragic event in American history. Those were our brothers. We may never have met them, but we share a bond that neither time nor death can break.
Forty-three years have passed. Families have grown older, children have grown up without their fathers, and parents have gone to their graves still mourning their sons.
But I promise you one thing. The United States Marine Corps has not forgotten them, and we never will.
Rest peacefully, brothers. Your sacrifice will never be forgotten.
Semper Fidelis. Always Faithful.