DE DE - John 'Jack' Wheeler, 66, Wilmington, 30 Dec 2010

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Oh dear! At first I thought this article was going to be about some conspiracy theory or something equally as pathetic, however, it does contain some new to us information regarding Wheeler's mental health.

Vietnam Demons & John Wheeler

"While Wheeler’s disorientation could have been caused by heart disease or stroke, Wheeler’s friends and long-time associates are beginning to quietly wonder whether something much more common and tragic for a Vietnam vet like Wheeler is partly to blame: the culmination of a long history of mental-health issues that have plagued him most of his adult life. Friends say Wheeler has acknowledged having bipolar disorder as well as Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism that sometimes caused him to misread social cues and situations.

He also told friends that he sought treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and that he was convinced that some of his problems were related to exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. While Wheeler was never a combat soldier, (he was a member of the general staff at the U.S. Army’s headquarters in Long Binh, Vietnam from 1969 to 1970), friends say that someone as sensitive as Wheeler may have been particularly vulnerable to a war zone’s after-effects. “I think some of his problems were genetic but were exacerbated by his wartime service,” one friend said."

much more...
 
Interesting that all this just comes out now. So I guess his irratic behavior wasn't so sudden afterall.
 
i.b.nora said:
Oh dear! At first I thought this article was going to be about some conspiracy theory or something equally as pathetic, however, it does contain some new to us information regarding Wheeler's mental health.

Vietnam Demons & John Wheeler

"While Wheeler’s disorientation could have been caused by heart disease or stroke, Wheeler’s friends and long-time associates are beginning to quietly wonder whether something much more common and tragic for a Vietnam vet like Wheeler is partly to blame: the culmination of a long history of mental-health issues that have plagued him most of his adult life. Friends say Wheeler has acknowledged having bipolar disorder as well as Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism that sometimes caused him to misread social cues and situations.
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A very good article. The character of House, on the television show, supposedly has Asperger's syndrome. According to Wikipedia, the Dr. Asperger himself may have had it. [ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome[/ame]

The symptoms, however, would be the opposite of what JW3 was exhibiting. AS usually included repetitive behavior, a strict adherence to routine.

It could have been related to the bipolar disorder, but wondering around is not a symptom.

Something else was going on, health wise. It might not have been murder, but that cannot be ruled out.
 
i.b.nora said:
This ABC article appeared on Friday night:

Now, Klingmeyer does not seem to be a personal friend of John Wheeler, nor does he seem to be a neighbor, and yet he does seem to have a copy of this email. How did he get it? Why is he talking to the media about it?
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Probably forwarded and both the house battle and the murder were public events.
 
i.b.nora said:
Oh dear! At first I thought this article was going to be about some conspiracy theory or something equally as pathetic, however, it does contain some new to us information regarding Wheeler's mental health.

Vietnam Demons & John Wheeler
Click to expand...

SBM

That's a fascinating article.

It certainly sounds like he had more emotional ups and downs than other people, even other Vietnam vets, and yet he managed to either work around them or overcome them for most of his life. I find him more admirable now, knowing more of his personal struggles.

Something I'd like to know is if he'd ever had any previous episodes of wandering the streets and seeming disoriented.

It just seems like a long leap from mood swings and infuriating friends to wandering the streets giving strangers the impression he was homeless.

I hope he has found the peace now that seems to have eluded him for much of his life.
 
Bipolar disorder usually has a genetic component and AS (which is not well understood) is either genetic or congenital. JW3 would have had either from childhood.

He had a staff position in Vietnam, so he would have had minimal combat exposure.

Neither bipolar disorder nor AS should cause someone to wonder around disoriented. It is hugely likely that someone with either or both might become withdrawn, but not go out wondering around.

There is something everyone is missing, including me.
 
J. J. in Phila said:
Bipolar disorder usually has a genetic component and AS (which is not well understood) is either genetic or congenital. JW3 would have had either from childhood.

He had a staff position in Vietnam, so he would have had minimal combat exposure.

Neither bipolar disorder nor AS should cause someone to wonder around disoriented. It is hugely likely that someone with either or both might become withdrawn, but not go out wondering around.

There is something everyone is missing, including me.
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I just don't think we've been given the missing piece and I doubt we ever will. I'm serious, it's only my opinion, but I do think he is being set up and we may never know the truth.
 
Knowing that there was an element of PTSD in Mr. Wheeler's background, I would immediately consider a psychogenic fugue state. This can be brought about when a person is confronted by a trigger. They can wander, often to their own detriment, with no memory of where they've been. These can be people who often spend a lot of energy "keeping it together". That's why others are so often shocked as the behavior doesn't seem like the person they know--often a well-respected and successful person. This might sound like something from a TV show, but it does happen and has been recently getting more and more attention, as we learn more about the aftermath of PTSD.

I have a hard time believing, however, that this was the very first incident. The others might have been kept quiet or within the family but I would really be surprised if this was the first time.
 
Missizzy said:
Knowing that there was an element of PTSD in Mr. Wheeler's background, I would immediately consider a psychogenic fugue state. This can be brought about when a person is confronted by a trigger. They can wander, often to their own detriment, with no memory of where they've been. These can be people who often spend a lot of energy "keeping it together". That's why others are so often shocked as the behavior doesn't seem like the person they know--often a well-respected and successful person. This might sound like something from a TV show, but it does happen and has been recently getting more and more attention, as we learn more about the aftermath of PTSD.

I have a hard time believing, however, that this was the very first incident. The others might have been kept quiet or within the family but I would really be surprised if this was the first time.
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I'm not sure JW3 every heard a shot fired in anger; it's possible, but he was a staff officer.

I am wondering about a health situation and if he might have been killed in a robbery, a mugging.
 
I think I'm going with some type of drugging (by someone else) and then dumped in the dumpster. I hope I'm wrong. Notice I say I "think" as I'm not really sure what to think at this point. Waiting for tox results! They should be helpful to give us an idea of what was or was not in his system.

Just sad. A distinguished career and ends up in a dumpster. Ugh.
 
He worked as a staff officer who worked on computers at staff headquarters well away from the front lines. He did that for a year.

He did feel survivor's guilt regarding West Point classmates who were killed in Vietnam. But, that is not PTSD.

His exposure to Agent Orange was, in my opinion, very unlikely.

I do think that without his mania the most incredible memorial monument ever designed as a testament to both honor the war dead and speak of the horrors of war, would likely never have been built. The coming together of John Wheeler, Jan Scruggs, and Maya Lin was prophetic.
 
i.b.nora said:
He worked as a staff officer who worked on computers at staff headquarters well away from the front lines. He did that for a year.

He did feel survivor's guilt regarding West Point classmates who were killed in Vietnam. But, that is not PTSD.

His exposure to Agent Orange was, in my opinion, very unlikely.

I do think that without his mania the most incredible memorial monument ever designed as a testament to both honor the war dead and speak of the horrors of war, would likely never have been built. The coming together of John Wheeler, Jan Scruggs, and Maya Lin was prophetic.
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I doubt if it would have been computers (slide rules maybe) in the late 1960's in Vietnam, but I think you're right otherwise.

I'm now wondering a few things.

1. He became disoriented, and was robbed.

2. He got into a fight (his condition might have caused it).

3. He had some of health problem and, confused, crawled into the dumpster, where he died. He could have fallen or had a stroke, had a reaction to meds, or had a circulatory problem.
 
J. J. in Phila said:
I doubt if it would have been computers (slide rules maybe) in the late 1960's in Vietnam, but I think you're right otherwise.

I'm now wondering a few things.

1. He became disoriented, and was robbed.

2. He got into a fight (his condition might have caused it).

3. He had some of health problem and, confused, crawled into the dumpster, where he died. He could have fallen or had a stroke, had a reaction to meds, or had a circulatory problem.
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Oh, I totally agree about the computer thing but it is what was said in the most recent "Vietnam Demons & John Wheeler" article. All the other things I have read about his time in Vietnam indicate or suggest that he pretty much was embedded at headquarters, didn't see any battle. Maybe he filed punch cards or something, I dunno.

As far as your personal speculations on what happened to him, I somewhat share your #3. He 'crawled into the dumpster'. I don't think he was put there. I think it was an accidental death. Like he got hurt when the truck picked up the dumpster and got further hurt when the truck unloaded other dumpster contents on top of him. Something like that.

BUT, how did he get to one of those dumpsters in Newark? That's the 64 Thousand Dollar Question.

UNLESS, the trash truck picked up other dumpster loads in downtown Wilmington before going to Newark and failed to mention it to anyone.

WHERE do the trash trucks live?

WHO owns the trash company?
 
Computers were very much in existence in the 1960s. I have an uncle who was very senior with IBM in the mid-60s, and at that time, he was one of only 2 people in the world who were able to fix certain huge mainframe computers. He travelled throughout the world, and at one time spent 2 or 3 days working on a government computer in South America ... all the while guarded by a soldier holding a machine gun. Uncle said he was the one "sweating bullets".

Problem fixed, uncle's still alive, and computers have advanced, but they did exist wayyyy back then. I would imagine big banks, governments and the military had some of the first ... not these cute little things we're tapping away on :)
 
J. J. in Phila said:
I'm not sure JW3 every heard a shot fired in anger; it's possible, but he was a staff officer.

I am wondering about a health situation and if he might have been killed in a robbery, a mugging.
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There are other causes of PTSD than participating in warfare. It can be a consequence of many sorts of trauma. For instance, about one third of all people who have been in ICU end up with PTSD.

Like you, I'm wondering if there were essentially two main factors: some sort of health problem that made him easy prey to a mugger or robber.

... in fact, if he had a health problem and then died while being mugged, the mugger was probably very freaked out. Maybe freaked out enough to go to the trouble of placing the body in the dumpster?
 
J. J. in Phila said:
I doubt if it would have been computers (slide rules maybe) in the late 1960's in Vietnam, but I think you're right otherwise.

I'm now wondering a few things.

1. He became disoriented, and was robbed.

2. He got into a fight (his condition might have caused it).

3. He had some of health problem and, confused, crawled into the dumpster, where he died. He could have fallen or had a stroke, had a reaction to meds, or had a circulatory problem.
Click to expand...

Computers definitely were in use in the 1960s. IBM had massive systems used in offices. They involved large sorters, collators, key punch machines, massive boards, etc., etc.
 
YellowDog said:
Computers definitely were in use in the 1960s. IBM had massive systems used in offices. They involved large sorters, collators, key punch machines, massive boards, etc., etc.
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They were in use, but not in Vietnam. Von Neumann invented a computer during WWII, in Phila, but it took several rooms to contain something that functioned like a pocket calculator.

Today, you can use a computer in a combat zone, but not in the late 1960's. I'm not even sure they could have connected to a mainframe from Vietnam.
 
This will be my last post regarding computers in Vietnam in 1969 - 1970 because frankly I don't care and it has no relevance really to how John Wheeler III ended up in a dumpster in Newark, Delaware 40 years later after a varied and distinguished career.

From this book:

"Vietnam Order of Battle"
By Shelby L. Stanton, William C. Westmoreland

Page 62

USARV Supply Organization
1st Logistical Command

Inventory Control Center, Vietnam *

* Formed as the 14th Inventory Control Center on 9 January 1966 to provide continuous and up-to-date inventory accounting of all depot stocks within Vietnam. In late 1967, a fully automated center with a complex control system involving the large-scale use of electronic computers was established at Long Binh.

and

If you go to: http://www.chairborneranger.com/photo-longbinh.htm

Photo #9 on that page, click to enlarge, it is: This was "Pentagon East", the headquarters of US Army Vietnam. Like the prior slide, that bright spot is "sun damage" -- it happened when I was making copies of the slides.

I don't know exactly which outfit or group Wheeler was assigned to, but indications are that there were in fact computers being used at Long Binh.
 
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