Solemn ceremony for Marine vet

Jeremy and Tami Sears — Facebook photo

( / Facebook photo)

It was a spare, solemn service for a tough Marine Corps veteran who rarely talked about himself.

Jeremy Sears’ friends spoke for him Wednesday at a Miramar National Cemetery ceremony, where uniformed Marines presented a folded American flag to Sears’ widow, Tami.

Sears – who did five combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan before leaving the Marines in 2012 – killed himself Oct. 6 at an Oceanside gun range.

Family and friends say he is a belated casualty of war. Undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder, in addition to a known brain injury, sapped his will, according to those who knew the 35-year-old San Marcos resident.

View the photo gallery: Marine Jeremy Sears Memorial

“He kept his promise to the Corps. Jeremy should be held in the highest esteem,” said Tim O’Healy, a Vietnam-era veteran who befriended the young infantryman.

“He never asked for help. I don’t think he knew how to accept it.”

At least 40 people gathered at the Miramar cemetery on a warm, clear fall morning, as Marine Corps jets thundered by overhead.

Many had the short haircuts and stocky builds of former or current Marines.

Alex Oogjen served with Sears in battle. Both were riflemen with Camp Pendleton’s 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment. The box holding Sears’ ashes Wednesday bore the logo of 2/5’s Fox company, the Blackhearts.

“He never had fear of anything. Hit everything head-on. … Always got stuff done and rock and rolled,” Oogjen said about his buddy.

The Marine said he can barely believe what happened, echoing the comments of others who said that Jeremy Sears hid his troubles well.

“He’s the type of guy who, when he tells you he’s good, he’s good,” Oogjen said.

“Whatever was resting on his shoulders, it was his to bear, and he wouldn’t let anyone else hold onto it or help him out too much.”

At least 22 U.S. military veterans commit suicide every day, according to 2010 VA figures including vets of all eras. That data point has galvanized veterans groups to call for national attention to the problem

Sears’ case has sparked anger among some San Diego County veterans, who blame the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for not helping him more.

This week, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein is reportedly looking into the case.

Sears’ claim for disability payments was caught in the heart of the VA claims backlog in 2013.

The VA took 16 months to deliver the bad news in February: Despite acknowledged traumatic brain injury and hearing loss, Sears’ physical issues were not severe enough to be compensated.

VA officials in San Diego have stood by that decision, saying that Sears missed exam appointments.

The missed appointments meant some of his claimed injuries couldn’t be assessed for possible payment -- and may have delayed the benefits decision overall.

Tami Sears, and other friends trying to help Jeremy navigate the VA system, said he went to all the appointments he knew about.

Jeremy Sears was screened for PTSD and brain injury by the VA in 2012, but neither was found.

Then, in January, Sears was diagnosed with traumatic brain injury during a VA benefits exam.

He never sought treatment – an issue that has divided the local veterans community.

Some advocates say the VA should do more to bring in combat veterans for care, knowing that the urge to isolate oneself is a common symptom of PTSD and brain injury.

Others say that veterans must help themselves and reach out to the programs in place, such as a transition team for Iraq and Afghanistan vets and the 24-hour VA suicide hotline.

Several veterans at Wednesday’s ceremony said they are still fighting to secure survivor’s benefits for Tami Sears, married to Jeremy since 2006.

If a veteran dies of a service-connected injury, the widow or widower is entitled to a monthly survivor’s benefit.

This week, a spokeswoman for the San Diego County medical examiner said that while the office doesn’t plan to list Sears’ TBI on the death certificate, the diagnosis will be addressed in the examination report.

That has raised hopes among those trying to help the widow. Additionally, a GoFundMe.com fundraising effort more than reached its $20,000 goal last week.

But all debate was muted Wednesday.

The memorial service program depicted Jeremy Sears as a stern, blonde Marine in blue dress uniform.

As a boy born and raised outside Chicago, his first love was ice hockey. He played every chance he got.

Joining the Marines in 2004, he served for eight years at Camp Pendleton.

Across the crisp morning air, a mournful bugle delivered “Taps.” Many hands in the crowd snapped up in salute.

The 21 shots fired by a Marine Corps honor guard echoed back from the cemetery’s rolling hills.

In the future, a marker there will bear his name.