ST. LOUIS - The family of an Army veteran is devastated after getting a painful reminder of their son's tragic death.
The Army's Wounded Warrior Program mailed a package to his former home in an attempt to reach him, even though he has been dead for 15 months.
Captain Casey McCausland entered into the Wounded Warrior Program in 2011. An advocate was supposed to be reaching out to him every six months. However, the last time she spoke with him was May of 2013.
Retired Army Captain Casey McCausland struggled with PTSD after his humvee hit an IED in 2008, killing the driver. His parents say McCausland, 33, died in November of 2013 after he was huffing a household chemical and fell down the stairs.
They notified the Department of Veterans Affairs the day after his death.
Last week however, the Army's Wounded Warrior Program sent him a package. It contained a letter that stated that he had not responded to numerous attempts to reach him.
McCausland's father, James McCausland, says the package stirred up the pain they felt when they lost their son. He says it was like adding salt to a wound.
"It creates a lot of hostility because the family is being brought back into the picture again, the loss is being made new and fresh," he said.
The Wounded Warrior Program has an office at the VA at Jefferson Barracks. The advocates in the Wounded Warrior Program communicate with the VA staff, but it is a separate organization that offers support to veterans.
A spokesperson for the Wounded Warrior Program says they do not have a specific way of being notified of a person's death, although most of the time it comes from the veteran's family
