My son SSG Brennan's burial fund
Donation protected
My name is Diane Brennan I'm from Surprise, AZ. On February 4th my 34-year-old son Craig Ulysses Brennan was found dead in Conway, AR with his 2 war dogs by his side. He was on his way to Arizona to see me and his brother. This horrific tragedy has left all of us who loved him, devastated. No parent is prepared to bury their child.
I’m asking for help to cover the expenses of transporting his body from Arkansas to Arizona, the funeral services and four airplane tickets for his wife and family to come to Arizona from Florida for the burial services. My son wanted to buried beside his Grandfather who served 32 years in the Army, however Grandpa is still alive.
Craig served 13 years in the United States Army. Reaching the rank of Staff Sergeant before he was medically retired with 100% disability for PTSD, back injuries and several other injuries sustained during his overseas tours.
Craig served 3 tours of duty in Iraqi and Afghanistan and was well decorated for his service and valor.
During his first tour of duty in 2005 he sustained injuries to his back when the Humvee he was riding in hit an IED and sent the vehicle in the air coming down hard.
The Army had to perform 2 surgeries on his back to repair the vertebral compression in three vertebras.
The doctors chose to prescribe Craig Percocet to manage the pain. The first surgery in 2009 went well and he was back to duty with some restrictions; light physical training, lifting restrictions, how much he could lift, etc. After the first surgery he was able to manage pain with over-the-counter medications.
The next surgery was in 2015. This time after surgery Craig became addicted to the Percocet. When the Army doctors stopped prescribing him Percocet he found people who were willing to sell him the drug off the street.
His wife reached out to me and his brother and I flew to Ft Campbell, KY to see him in September 2016. He looked good; trim and fit. You know the answers I received from my questions with him; I’m not using Mom. The doctors have given me these meds for my anxiety and PTSD, I feel better. You want to believe them. He seemed fine but there were tensions in the home with his wife and him. He tried to tell me she was lying and that he wasn’t using.
They separated in December 2016 a month before he retired from the Army.
Finally, on February 2, 2018 I receive a call from him. He said he had a U-Haul truck with his personal items and his 2 war dogs Walter and Abigail. He was leaving Georgia (where he had moved to after his retirement) coming to Arizona, he needed family. I know he knew we’d get him help.
Two days later, while at work, I received the call, no mother wants to receive. A very nice police officer named Officer Newton with the Conway, AR police department called me. First, I thought he might be arrested. He told me they found Craig in a U-Haul truck hunched over the steering wheel, deceased. His two war dogs alive and by his side.
I couldn’t believe it, he was coming home to get help to get off the drugs. He would have been here in a couple of days……What happened?
Evidently, it wasn’t soon enough! They found the drugs with him however we don’t know yet what actually killed him; overdose or cardiac arrest. It takes 90 days for the autopsy and toxicology reports to come back so we’re sitting on pins and needles to know really what happened.
I have set up a savings account strictly for this so the bills could be paid.
I’m asking for help to cover the expenses of transporting his body from Arkansas to Arizona, the funeral services and four airplane tickets for his wife and family to come to Arizona from Florida for the burial services. My son wanted to buried beside his Grandfather who served 32 years in the Army, however Grandpa is still alive.
Craig served 13 years in the United States Army. Reaching the rank of Staff Sergeant before he was medically retired with 100% disability for PTSD, back injuries and several other injuries sustained during his overseas tours.
Craig served 3 tours of duty in Iraqi and Afghanistan and was well decorated for his service and valor.
During his first tour of duty in 2005 he sustained injuries to his back when the Humvee he was riding in hit an IED and sent the vehicle in the air coming down hard.
The Army had to perform 2 surgeries on his back to repair the vertebral compression in three vertebras.
The doctors chose to prescribe Craig Percocet to manage the pain. The first surgery in 2009 went well and he was back to duty with some restrictions; light physical training, lifting restrictions, how much he could lift, etc. After the first surgery he was able to manage pain with over-the-counter medications.
The next surgery was in 2015. This time after surgery Craig became addicted to the Percocet. When the Army doctors stopped prescribing him Percocet he found people who were willing to sell him the drug off the street.
His wife reached out to me and his brother and I flew to Ft Campbell, KY to see him in September 2016. He looked good; trim and fit. You know the answers I received from my questions with him; I’m not using Mom. The doctors have given me these meds for my anxiety and PTSD, I feel better. You want to believe them. He seemed fine but there were tensions in the home with his wife and him. He tried to tell me she was lying and that he wasn’t using.
They separated in December 2016 a month before he retired from the Army.
Finally, on February 2, 2018 I receive a call from him. He said he had a U-Haul truck with his personal items and his 2 war dogs Walter and Abigail. He was leaving Georgia (where he had moved to after his retirement) coming to Arizona, he needed family. I know he knew we’d get him help.
Two days later, while at work, I received the call, no mother wants to receive. A very nice police officer named Officer Newton with the Conway, AR police department called me. First, I thought he might be arrested. He told me they found Craig in a U-Haul truck hunched over the steering wheel, deceased. His two war dogs alive and by his side.
I couldn’t believe it, he was coming home to get help to get off the drugs. He would have been here in a couple of days……What happened?
Evidently, it wasn’t soon enough! They found the drugs with him however we don’t know yet what actually killed him; overdose or cardiac arrest. It takes 90 days for the autopsy and toxicology reports to come back so we’re sitting on pins and needles to know really what happened.
I have set up a savings account strictly for this so the bills could be paid.
Organizer
Diane Brennan
Organizer
Waddell, AZ
