Veteran’s Tragic Death Outside VA Hospital Sparks Outcry Over Mental Health Treatment – “The War Did Not Leave Me”: Ex-Serviceman Mark Miller Passed Away by Suicide Outside Audie L. Murphy VA Hospital
San Antonio, Texas – April 9, 2025 — A powerful and heartbreaking protest unfolded in front of the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital in San Antonio on Tuesday, as Mark Miller, a 42-year-old Marine Corps veteran, died by suicide in the hospital parking lot. Miller, who had long battled post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head—a final act his father says was meant to send a message about the deep failures of the veteran care system.
Mark’s father, Larry Miller, shared the devastating news in a public post on Wednesday, recounting the final message he received from his son just minutes before the tragedy. “Papa, I love you very much and I always will,” Mark texted. Larry replied, “I love you too, with all my heart.” Moments later, Mark arrived by taxi at the VA hospital and ended his life on its doorstep.
“This wasn’t just suicide,” Larry wrote. “It was a protest cry for help on behalf of thousands of veterans who feel voiceless, invisible, and betrayed.”
A Broken System and a Veteran’s Final Protest
Mark’s family says he had been trying to get proper help through the VA for years. Just a week before his death, on April 1, Mark visited the VA seeking support. According to his father, Mark was quickly prescribed Seroquel, an antipsychotic often used off-label for depression and sleep disorders. He was frustrated and disillusioned by what he saw as a robotic, careless system.
“He told me the doctor didn’t even listen to him—just handed him a prescription and moved on,” Larry wrote. “Mark said, ‘I should call the news and tell them they are murdering our heroic men and women.’”
Seroquel, the medication Mark was prescribed, is associated with serious side effects and carries a black box warning from the FDA for increased risk of suicide in certain patients. Mark had already been open about how poorly he responded to antidepressants, stating they made his mental state worse.
“Suicide Stalks the Sniper”
Mark was not just a veteran—he was also a writer and advocate. In a book co-written with his father titled Suicide Stalks the Sniper, Mark courageously opened up about his trauma and his ongoing battle with mental health.
“I left the war,” he once wrote, “but the war did not leave me.”
Despite his inner pain, those who knew Mark describe him as a kind and loving man who cared deeply for animals, worked at a local food pantry, and did his best to give back to the community that, in many ways, he felt had abandoned him.
A Veteran Every 63 Minutes
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, an estimated 7,000 veterans die by suicide every year—that’s one every 63 minutes. Advocates argue that the VA continues to rely too heavily on pharmacological treatment while underinvesting in therapies that could make a real difference, such as trauma-informed psychotherapy, community support, and innovative alternatives like ketamine infusions, which have shown promising results for treatment-resistant depression and PTSD.
Veterans like Kirsten Coelho Sultemeier, a fellow Marine, are calling for systemic reform. In a passionate open letter, she criticized the VA’s overreliance on medications pushed by pharmaceutical companies: “They broke us in the military, and now they’re killing us off in the name of greed.”
She urged veterans and citizens alike to share Mark’s story with policymakers, media figures, and anyone with the power to effect change. “With every veteran suicide, I get even more angered,” she wrote. “Someone has to listen.”
“A Son, a Brother, a Hero”
Mark Miller’s loss is being felt deeply by family, friends, and fellow service members. His father’s raw grief was evident in every word of his tribute:
“Today, the world lost an angel, a hero, a beloved son, brother, uncle, and friend. You took a big part of me with you, Mark. I hope to see you soon, over there.”
As Mark’s story spreads, it stands not only as a memorial to a life lost too soon but as a searing indictment of a system that continues to fail the very people it was created to serve.
If you or someone you know is a veteran in crisis, help is available.
Call the Veterans Crisis Line at 988 (then press 1) or text 838255 for 24/7 confidential support. Obituary and funeral memorial soon…
