The Life And Lonely Death Of Noah Pierce - 1636 Words

In Ashley Gilbertson’s â€Å"The Life and Lonely Death of Noah Pierce,† she talks with the family members and friends of veteran Noah Pierce to find out what led to Noah’s suicide following his service with the United States Army. It is believed that Noah’s experiences in Iraq attributed to him having post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and causing a change in his behavior during and after his service. Additionally in one of the letters to his mother detailing an engagement with enemy contacts and even though he claimed that he came unscathed with no bullet wounds or lost limbs, Noah admits to possibly having traumatic brain injury (TBI) because of that experience (Gilbertson). Exposure to the war environment in Iraq and the murders he committed had a direct impact on Specialist Noah Pierce in which it cultivated his aggressive behavior which caused numerous episodes that spiraled down to Noah committing suicide. Noah’s quiet behavior growing up differed from the personality he had acquired in the military. Shortly after 9/11, Noah had enlisted in the United States Army and was sent to boot camp in June 2002. In a letter written to his mother, Noah claimed that the drill sergeant would make him yell absurd things like â€Å"blood, blood, blood makes the green grass grow† (qtd. In Gilbertson). This point in his life foreshadowed the hostile mannerisms Noah would carry with him for the rest of his life. After several months in boot camp, Noah was assigned to a unit that was part of