Hardy Wolf & Downing is pleased to announce the 2016 winner of our scholarship award. We were deeply moved by the number of applications received and as loyal supporters of military veterans and law enforcement personnel, we are proud to offer this year’s scholarship award to Marshall Magincalda, a former Marine who served in the U.S. infantry from 2003 to 2008.
We want to express our gratitude to all applicants for their past and continued service and wish them all the best of luck in their future endeavors.
Hardy Wolf & Downing Law Scholarship Winner
The law firm of Hardy, Wolf & Downing is proud to award a $5,000 law school scholarship to Marshall Magincalda, who was recently accepted to McGeorge School of Law, the University of the Pacific in Sacramento, California. Mr. Marshall is a veteran of the Global War for Terrorism and wrote candidly about his experiences with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which afflicts thousands of military veterans. As he embarks on his Juris Doctor degree, Hardy Wolf & Downing feels confident his leadership skills and life experiences will contribute to a successful legal career.
Personal Statement of Marshall Magincalda
“My first tour overseas was to Iraq in 2003. We pushed all the way to the city of Baghdad from the country’s southern border with Kuwait. As a junior Marine infantryman, I was shocked to take part in real violence and face graphic scenes of death. I remember being depressed, finding support in my best friend who served with me. Aside from our regular duties each squad took part in suicide watches for a few Marines at our Forward Operating Base (FOB). They were often stigmatized in the eyes of the rest of the men and some never fully recovered to rejoin us. I served three combat tours, my final tour in 2006. As one can imagine, by 2012, many veterans across the country who had served multiple combat deployments, had come home. Once back in the United States, negative stigma in the media and amongst the community has led some veterans to question their roles overseas.
In 2012, the Department of Veterans Affairs conducted a study to look at the impacts a decade of war had on veteran outcomes. The military’s suicide statistics for 2012 showed a significant increase in the suicide rate among military personnel. Three hundred and forty nine United States soldiers committed suicide after returning from combat. Among veterans the rate is even greater. The VA now estimates 18 veteran suicides each day. PTSD, is cited as being a major precursor for these effects. I have PTSD and know first-hand the toll it can take on your ability to function and interact with others even while receiving treatment. Friends and family learn of its effects when veterans exhibit unstable mental states (i.e. fighting, blackout drinking, car crashes, domestic abuse, etc…) which lead to an inability to find work and in some cases homelessness.
When I left the military the transition was difficult. I was depressed and did not seek the care that I needed. Luckily, a group of supportive loved ones helped process me into the VA system to undergo treatment. My experiences make me curious about other veterans who are lacking supportive networks, or who suffer from severe PTSD.”