— Domani Spero

In 2012, we blogged about a retired FS employee, William “Tony” Gooch who was sentenced to 12 years in prison – the maximum he faced under a plea agreement in a Nov. 7, 2010 episode, in which he reportedly rammed a Jeep into his estranged wife’s home before setting it ablaze. (See Former FSO William Anthony Gooch: No Mercy for Broken Men?).  Colorado Spring’s The Gazette covered the hearing in 2012.

We recently received a note from his son, Andy Gooch (he was referencing our blogpost below):

I came across this article the other day while searching to see if there was anything out there on my father, William Gooch (Tony). He is currently incarcerated and subjected to the brutality of prison life. He was in fact diagnosed with severe PTSD, depression, and substance dependence after serving State Department which the court system neglected to take into consideration. This whole situation frustrates me everyday. In fact, I clearly remember like it was yesterday after I told the judge my little amount of overseas experience. “This sounds like something out of a Jason Bourne movie,” stated the judge. It was as though he was calling not only my statement, but my fathers career a fabricated story.

Anyway, since then, my father and I have published a book on Amazon about his life. It’s called “My Mind, A Different Place.” If you are interested in his story, please look into it. Below is the hyperlink.

http://www.amazon.com/My-Mind-Different-Place-familys-ebook/dp/B00IHOCAC2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392741948&sr=8-1&keywords=my+mind%2C+a+different+place

It’s unfortunate how the path of one’s career is often times vulnerable to acquiring PTSD, yet others don’t see/understand the reality.

Thanks,
William Gooch (Andy)

News report said that Tony Gooch’s career with the State Department ended with a medical discharge after he suffered a breakdown during an assignment in Kingston, Jamaica. On the prologue of the book, Andy Gooch writes that he moved to Centennial, Colorado in 2004 to live with his father  who was then retired from the State Department.  “It took me all these years to understand him, and to see what he was going through. At that time, my ignorance was bliss. Had I known then what I know now, I would have done a lot more to help my dad, ” he writes.

According to Andy , his father is not getting the mental health treatment he should be getting and his physical condition is deteriorating.  Due to this, he said his family is “currently filing action against the state.”  Andy also said that his father is allowed to accept some items like books and magazine through the mail writing,  “He is so isolated from the outside world I’m sure anything from anybody would be great.”

If you want to help, you may send cards, books or magazines to William “Tony” Gooch’s address below:

William Gooch #157833
AVCF Unit 4-B
12750 HWY 96
Ordway, CO 81034

Andy Gooch graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2012 and is a second lieutenant in a Field Artillery Battery with the Army National Guard.

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