Twenty-seven days after our little brother, Elias Reyes Jr., a United States Marine Corps veteran and UCLA Bruin, committed suicide, the federal government sent our family a letter requesting its money back.
The first line read, “We are sorry to learn of the death of (Elias) and wish to express our sympathy.”
The second line read, “Please be advised that (Elias) is not entitled to benefits for the month in which death occurred.”
The following 22 lines detailed why our brother was not eligible to receive his disability check during the month in which he died, and instructed our family to return the $400.93 payment within 30 days.
Elias was only 27 years old when he passed away last month. He had served three combat deployments, two to Iraq and one to Afghanistan by the age of 22.
The letter is just one example of the government’s blatant insensitivity to the needs of veterans and their families.
Upon his return from active duty in Afghanistan in 2008, Elias had made many attempts to seek help from the Veteran’s Health Administration for medical care, counseling and educational benefits, only to be met with constant red tape, long waiting lists and administrative changes that impacted the continuity of his care.
The U.S. government had been compensating Elias $400.93 a month for a traumatic brain injury resulting from an improvised explosive device that blasted him and his foot patrol on July 23, 2007, in Fallujah, Iraq.
Despite his brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder and lack of mental health treatment, Elias was very high-functioning.
Following in his two sisters’ footsteps, he managed to graduate in the class of 2012 with a cumulative GPA of 3.8 and a degree in philosophy.
With his graduation came a move to the Bay Area to be closer to his girlfriend, and for a new career path. At the time of his death, Elias had already begun the process of applying to medical school.
While he was incredibly proud of his time as a corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps, Elias would not have been surprised by the government’s request to return his disability check. He ultimately hated the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and eventually distrusted the U.S. government’s ability to provide for its own citizens.
The Department of Veterans Affairs’ own report released in 2012 estimated 22 United States military veterans commit suicide every day. That works out to one every 65 minutes.
But our brother Elias is not a statistic.
He was a selfless person whose character embodied every American value of hard work, family, equality and justice. He willingly sacrificed his life to protect Americans’ rights and died as a result of his invisible war injuries.
Ironically, May is National Military Appreciation month, a time for Americans to come together and thank our U.S. military members for their patriotic service.
Our family will not allow the government to defile our brother’s humanity and life of service to this country by equating his worth to $400.93.
Irene Kaludi and Margarita Reyes are the sisters of Elias Reyes Jr. Kaludi graduated with a master’s degree in social welfare in 2010 from UCLA. Reyes graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Chicano/a studies in 2010 from UCLA.
Disgusting!
Wow stooping to a new low!
As I recall, Elias will receive pay until his death. I see no problem with this procedure. The Government should cease his pay and it does require a separate procedure for the pay from the first of the month until the date of death.
Let us promote that all suicides be on the first of the month.