De Anza student and Iraq War veteran missing

De+Anza+student+and+Iraq+War+veteran+missing

Jacob Sisneros, Editor-in-Chief

Joseph Weber, a 28-year-old De Anza College student and Iraq War veteran, was reported missing by his family on Nov. 26 and has been missing for over 12 days.

Weber left his home in Sunnyvale on Nov. 24 and the California Highway Patrol found his car in the Golden Gate Bridge employee parking lot on Nov. 27, according to a KTVU report.

He served two tours in Baghdad as a military police officer and his family told KTVU that he hadn’t been the same since returning home.

“He was never really able to forgive himself, I think,” Weber’s sister Linnea told KTVU. “He suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and it affected almost every aspect of his life after that.”

Robert Ovetz, Weber’s political science teacher at De Anza this quarter, said Weber was a “very engaged, passionate student.”

Ovetz said Weber was interested in understanding the government and the role he played in Iraq.

“[He] told a lot of stories about his time in Iraq as a military policeman,” Ovetz said. “Joe was very willing to share his stories with the class.”

Weber’s mother and sister told KTVU he suffered excruciating headaches after returning home from his tours in Iraq.

Ovetz said he remembered a time when Weber showed up to class disoriented and lost.

If anyone has information on Joseph Weber and his disappearance please call the Sunnyvale Police Department.

“This could be happening to countless vets struggling to fit back into society and trying to figure out their roles in Iraq,” Ovetz said.