Mother says body is that of missing veteran
By Kate Spinner
DEEP CREEK — The parents of Eric Hall, the 24-year-old Iraq war veteran who went missing last month, are ready to take their son home.
Based on his clothes and war-wounded leg, Becky Hall, Eric Hall's mother, said she is certain the body found deep within a Charlotte County culvert Sunday at the end of Partin Drive and Highlands Road was her son's.
The family is still waiting for confirmation from the county medical examiner, but plans a public memorial on Thursday at noon at Faith Lutheran Church in Punta Gorda.
"There's a pain in our heart, a place in our heart that will never go away," Becky Hall said. "But at least we know where he was. We know what happened."
Hall, who was said to have suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, disappeared from his aunt's Deep Creek home on Feb. 3.
Family members said he experienced a severe war flashback that sent him fleeing on his motorcycle.
His motorcycle was found on Sulstone Drive, close to where his body was discovered Sunday.
The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office has not released the results of its investigation, including the cause of death.
But Vietnam veteran Charles Shaughnessy, the man who found the body, said he thinks Hall might have died after taking refuge in the culvert from a small brush fire.
Becky Hall said she considered it a likely scenario.
On Sunday, Shaughnessy crawled into the culvert while Becky Hall waited outside.
"When I looked in Charley's face, when he came back out, I knew it was" my son, Becky Hall said during a brief interview Tuesday.
Hall, a Marine, battled post-traumatic stress disorder after his best friend was killed by a improvised explosive device in Fallujah, Iraq, almost three years ago.
The explosion also tore apart Hall's leg. After nearly a year in and out of surgery, Hall was able to walk with a limp.
Hall moved to Charlotte County from his hometown of Jeffersonville, Ind., in January to live with his cousin.
He wanted a fresh start and also thought the warm weather would be good for his leg, family members have said.
Hall brought with him his love of fishing and the outdoors, his passion for motorcycle riding and a deaf pit bull terrier that he adored, Becky Hall said.
The dog always needed a little extra care and now needs a good home, she said.
Days after Hall disappeared, Becky Hall flew to Florida from Jeffersonville and orchestrated a massive search effort, including volunteers from all over the state.
Becky Hall's decision to hold a memorial on Thursday stems from her family's gratitude for the volunteer help.
The family will return to Jeffersonville on Friday.
"We couldn't go home not knowing where he was, and that's important," Becky Hall said.
She said she wants to make sure other Iraq and Afghanistan veterans get better help through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The VA severely underestimated the number of veterans who would return home from the wars with psychological trauma, according to veterans advocacy groups.
A report on mental health injuries by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America reported that in 2005 the VA predicted 3,000 new cases of PTSD in 2005. Instead, it saw 18,000.
Eric Hall returned to the United States in the summer of 2005.
"I'm not going to let what happened to him happen to more people," Becky Hall said. "I will work with the people who are available to me to make something happen. This system is imperfect."
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http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080312/NEWS/803120388
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