#Decorated Green Beret known as ‘Captain America’ commits suicide

A decorated Green Beret who served a dozen combat tours, including six in Afghanistan, committed suicide last week in front of his wife, becoming the 30th member of his elite battalion to kill himself, according to reports.

Master Sgt. Andrew Christian Marckesano, 34, was known as “Captain America” to his fellow soldiers in the 82nd Airborne regiment. He earned a Silver Star for bravery, and had recently moved to Washington, D.C., to begin a new job at the Pentagon.

But on July 6, after having dinner with his former battalion commander, Marckesano returned home and committed suicide in front of his wife. He was still on active duty and leaves behind three small children. It was not immediately clear how he killed himself.

But in the days before he died, he sent an upbeat message to his fellow soldiers: “Text me, I told you before my door is open… my phone is at hand. We did things that people make movies about and in some cases, writers and producers wouldn’t even try to write our story… the rucksack is heavy… and when it gets heavy we [&$#*] help each other, but you have to reach out… Don’t let the Valley win,” according to Fox News.

Marckesano is one of an estimated 20 combat veterans who are killing themselves everyday, according to military statistics. Last month, President Trump launched the PREVENTS Task Force to aid veterans suffering post traumatic stress.