WASHINGTON ( CNN ) -- Where were you on the night of July 15 ? You may not even remember , but for me it was an extraordinary evening , an evening of unimaginable triumph and unbearable tragedy . Andrew Kinard testifies before a Senate Armed Services subcommittee on April 29 , 2009 . But I would not actually know everything that happened until the night was long over . A couple of weeks before July 15 , a friend who works with injured troops emailed me to say it was time for Andrew 's going away party . Andrew Kinard is a young Marine I first met a few years ago at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington where he was recovering from a devastating IED attack in Iraq . He had stepped on the roadside bomb and lost his entire body below the hips . The party being arranged was Andrew 's farewell to D.C. Andrew is off to the rigors of Harvard Law School . He 's says he 's itching to get into a courtroom . You need to remember the name Andrew Kinard . Many of his friends believe Andrew is such an amazing man that he will become president of the United States . If I had to bet , I 'd say it could happen . I would n't have missed the party for the world . I was touched that this tight-knit community of wounded warriors had included me in this very special , very intimate evening . There was a display of photos of Andrew serving in Iraq . I suddenly realized I never knew how tall he was before the war . There were a few sniffles and wiping of eyes in the room for a Marine whose dream of service to his country ended within a few months of getting to Iraq . But sniffles did n't last long and the evening became one of hugs , laughter and good wishes ( and more than a few beers ) for a young Marine who had triumphed over what the war had dealt him . But my warm feelings did n't last long . The next day another source in the wounded troop community came to me in the Pentagon hallway with another tale . `` You have to do something about the story of Ray Rivas , '' he said . In the very hours we were celebrating Andrew in Washington , tragedy was unfolding in Texas . Lt. Col. Raymond Rivas , a 53-year old civil affairs officer who had dedicated his career to rebuilding war torn countries , was found dead in his car in the parking lot of Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio Texas . Colleagues of Ray 's said prescription pills and notes he wrote to his family and wife , Colleen , were found . A military source told me all indications are Ray took his own life . His devastated family understandably declined to talk publicly , and the military wo n't discuss the case citing privacy concerns . But friends and colleagues I spoke to confirmed that Ray had suffered multiple blast injuries to his brain from bomb attacks during several deployments over the years . Watch Ray Rivas 's struggle with his brain injuries » . In October 2006 , Ray survived an attack in Iraq that rendered him briefly unconscious . He was transferred to Europe but somehow talked the doctors into sending him back to the war zone . A week later , ill and confused , he was sent back to the United States . A close associate tells me that at first , despite being diagnosed with traumatic brain injury in Iraq , some doctors thought Ray might be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder . They did n't realize he had all the symptoms of traumatic brain injury . He had trouble talking , reasoning and remembering . He was sent to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio so he could be near his family , but for the first few months he just sat in his room . Fellow soldiers helped him with his bathing , dressing and eating . Finally , Ray was assigned a case manager , and things began to move rapidly . He got therapy and was able to go home . But by all accounts from his friends , Ray had become seriously debilitated by the injuries to his brain . A private email shown to CNN revealed that Ray had been diagnosed with rapidly emerging Alzheimer 's disease . The cumulative impact of all those bomb blasts were destroying his brain . Colleagues say Ray knew he might have to move to an assisted living facility . Ray 's doctors are not discussing his treatment because of privacy concerns . A colleague told me Ray was tired and in pain on the night of July 15 . He was found in his car in the parking lot at the army hospital where he had spent so long trying to get better . But Ray will be remembered for all he did for others . Even with all his suffering , he wanted to make sure other injured troops were helped . In April he and his wife Colleen went to Capitol Hill to testify with other wounded warriors about their needs . Sitting on that panel with Ray was Andrew Kinard .
CNN 's Barbara Starr celebrated a victory and mourned a loss on May 15 . An injured Marine was celebrating getting into Harvard Law School . On same day , a warrior with a traumatic brain injury was found dead in his bed . Men 's stories are linked -- both pleaded with the government to help injured soldiers .