First Name: Earl
Last Name: Bankson Jr.
Middle Initial: R
Date of Birth: 01/04/1949
Sex: Male
Martial Status: Married
Number of Children: Yes
Home Town: Winnsboro, LA
Education Completed: Not Sure
Other Occupations:
Branch of Service: Marines
Highest Rank: E-4
Serial Number: N/A
Platoon: N/A
Age at Start of Service: 18
Years of Service: 5 to 10
Combat Veteran: Yes
Time in Combat: Not Sure
Place of Combat: N/A
Awards:
Date of Suicide: 02/1982
Suicide Method: Self inflicted gunshot wound
Veteran’s Story: In 1982 my late husband, Earl Richard Bankson Jr, shot me, a friend of mine and himself. From 1966-1970 he served in the USMC. From 1974-1978 he was in the USN. At the time of the shooting we were going through a trial seperation due to his PTSD. He shot me twice in the head and once in the arm. He shot my friend twice in the back and once in the elbow. He then turned the gun on himself and took his own life. Prior to his death he attempted suicide six times. In my opinion, his mental instability was a direct result of his service in Vietnam. He told me many stories of being in the field as an radioman. According to him his company was sprayed with Agent Orange repeatedly. He also relayed many stories of the horrible things he saw and conditions under which he had to live. Not only did our government enter an unwinnable war, but they exposed our soldiers to intolerable living conditions which included being sprayed by their own government with deadly chemicals. After his death, I spent the next 18 years raising two children with no help whatsoever from the VA. As you can imagine I was not in very good condition to be taking care of my children or myself. My children missed out on many things, such as routine medical and dental attention. They also missed out on things like normal family functions and opportunities, such as college educations. All three of us are still paying the price for his mental illness/suicide which were obviously caused by AO and PTSD. So, where do I go from here? I have requested assistance from my representative, my senator and even President Bush. To date no one has offered me anything but rejection. Currently my daughter is serving a four year hitch in the US Coast Guard. If my husband’s suicide is a good example of how we treat our military and their families, I cannot imagine that she will continue to serve after her current tour. Who will serve, if we refuse to take care of our own?
Submitted By: Patricia Jean Bankson Herron
Relationship to Veteran: Ex-Spouse
