Bob’s family here. He ended his life about ten hours after posting his final blog. It’s hard to know what to say now. We were all very surprised and will miss him in our lives. His jokes and stories were something we will always remember. As he wrote about in a few entries COVID is no joke. Being sick is depressing, and this must have just been too much.
He got a lot of fulfillment from writing these blogs and meeting like-minded people. The last few years he wasn’t able to get out and travel as much as he liked but being online here was a way to stay active and involved. Dad especially liked meeting many of you at the rifle range a couple of years ago. Shooting, talking about shooting, and sharing war stories were always fun activities.
He will be buried in Texas—as he wished—at the DFW National Cemetery. The process takes a while so it will probably be sometime in the spring. Hopefully it’s a good year for bluebonnets. We are by no means asking for donations, but if you are looking for something a veteran’s charity like Mission 22 or StopSoldierSuicide.org seem like respectable organizations. If you do make a donation, please mention Bob Merriman.
If you or someone you know is thinking of suicide, call 988. It’s a nationwide number for crisis response. You don’t even have to be in the same city as the person you’re calling about. And if you have any other identifying information about them do not wait to try and contact their family members.
Thank you all. Keep fighting the good fight.
