Army Specialist Derek Bilodeau
February 25, 1985 ~ September 1, 2008
Operation Iraqi Freedom
10th Mountain Light Infantry Division, Fort Drum, NY
23, born in Manchester NH; died as a result of service to our country.
Operation Iraqi Freedom
10th Mountain Light Infantry Division, Fort Drum, NY
23, born in Manchester NH; died as a result of service to our country.
Derek was born in Manchester, NH, and was a resident of Nevada for seven years. He was a student at Green Valley High School before he joined the U.S. Army in 2004.
Derek, a specialist in the Army's 10th Mountain Light Infantry, was wounded during a firefight in the remote Afghan province of Paktika in the summer of 2006. One bullet went through his arm. Another got lodged near his liver. A few weeks before the incident, the Army said, he had saved the lives of fellow unit members under attack and trapped in a Humvee, for which he was award the U.S. Army Commendation Medal. That all happened shortly after he turned 21.
Derek’s medals for valor did not help him in his battle with post-traumatic stress disorder, upon return from Afghanistan. He was undergoing counseling once a week for PTSD at a clinic run by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. There, he was prescribed painkillers and antidepressants, but used prescriptions up quickly and sometimes with alcohol, adding to his struggle in coping with memories of six months at war.
Derek had received a letter from the Army telling him he was due for a medical evaluation that could affect his disability benefits and even lead to a recall to active duty. He became a danger to himself and others when he returned from war to Las Vegas in fall 2007, his family said. He had torn up the letter from the Army and over the weeks following it, sank into a deep depression. "He had blackouts, he couldn't sleep, he'd take his motorcycle out and ride it all night," his stepfather, Mick Florek, said. "He'd go down to the Strip and try to pick fights." "He wanted to go to college, but he couldn't concentrate on anything," said his mother, Debbie Florek. "His mind was so far gone." Tragically, Derek took his own life in September 2008.
His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal with V Device (*Army – the "V" is worn solely to denote "participation in acts of heroism involving conflict with an armed enemy”) for saving the lives of members of his unit who were trapped in a Humvee; the Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terror Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
He is survived by his father and stepmother, Rick and Tricia Bilodeau, mother and stepfather Deborah and Michael Florek, brother Kurt and sister Amanda Bilodeau, half-brother Max and half-sister Makenzie Bilodeau, half-brother Josh Florek, step-brothers Philip and Bryan Florek, and his extended family.
Derek, a specialist in the Army's 10th Mountain Light Infantry, was wounded during a firefight in the remote Afghan province of Paktika in the summer of 2006. One bullet went through his arm. Another got lodged near his liver. A few weeks before the incident, the Army said, he had saved the lives of fellow unit members under attack and trapped in a Humvee, for which he was award the U.S. Army Commendation Medal. That all happened shortly after he turned 21.
Derek’s medals for valor did not help him in his battle with post-traumatic stress disorder, upon return from Afghanistan. He was undergoing counseling once a week for PTSD at a clinic run by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. There, he was prescribed painkillers and antidepressants, but used prescriptions up quickly and sometimes with alcohol, adding to his struggle in coping with memories of six months at war.
Derek had received a letter from the Army telling him he was due for a medical evaluation that could affect his disability benefits and even lead to a recall to active duty. He became a danger to himself and others when he returned from war to Las Vegas in fall 2007, his family said. He had torn up the letter from the Army and over the weeks following it, sank into a deep depression. "He had blackouts, he couldn't sleep, he'd take his motorcycle out and ride it all night," his stepfather, Mick Florek, said. "He'd go down to the Strip and try to pick fights." "He wanted to go to college, but he couldn't concentrate on anything," said his mother, Debbie Florek. "His mind was so far gone." Tragically, Derek took his own life in September 2008.
His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal with V Device (*Army – the "V" is worn solely to denote "participation in acts of heroism involving conflict with an armed enemy”) for saving the lives of members of his unit who were trapped in a Humvee; the Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terror Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
He is survived by his father and stepmother, Rick and Tricia Bilodeau, mother and stepfather Deborah and Michael Florek, brother Kurt and sister Amanda Bilodeau, half-brother Max and half-sister Makenzie Bilodeau, half-brother Josh Florek, step-brothers Philip and Bryan Florek, and his extended family.
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