The Horrors

Richard Cranium at the All Spin Zone has a heartbreaking story about the suicide of a soldier who had just returned home from the war.

The four airmen — Tech. Sgts. Dave Guindon of Merrimack and Nancy Young of Auburn, and Staff Sgts. Mike Steer of Kingston and Chris Moisan of Dover — serve with the New Hampshire Air National Guard’s 157th Air Refueling Wing, based at the Pease Air National Guard Base in Newington. All four were thrilled to be back home after a six-month deployment in Iraq.

“It feels fantastic. It’s hard to explain it, it feels so good,” Guindon said about being home, shortly after he arrived at Manchester Airport. “I’m just going to take today slow, wake up tomorrow, and see what it’s like to be back in a normal place.”

In addition to his wife and family, Guindon said he missed having a real bed, a real bath and real milk while overseas. He also said that in Iraq, peace and quiet — along with privacy — were in short supply.

24 hours later, he is no longer with us.

MERRIMACK — A decorated member of the New Hampshire Air National Guard killed himself at his home Wednesday, just a day after returning from a six-month tour of duty in Iraq.

Tech. Sgt. Dave Guindon, 48, of Merrimack was a member of the 157th Air Refueling Wing based in Newington. In Iraq, he and four other members of the unit provided security to Army convoys. They returned Tuesday.

So Tragic. Words escape me.