While Tom Ricks is away from his blog, he has selected a few of his favorite posts to re-run. We will be posting a few every day until he returns. This originally ran on September 17, 2010.

Oh man. Take a minute to read this widow's account of watching her Marine sergeant husband fall apart after he came home from Afghanistan. Two quotations that really struck me: 

"I knew that we had run out of time."

And, as he contemplated suicide:

"There is no way I can stop you from doing this, is there?" she said she asked her husband.

"No."

If you know someone who seems suicidal, here is a phone number:

1-800-273-TALK

(HT to BD)