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Firework displays are pretty but can stress veterans with PTSD
sheknows.com ^ | July 3, 2015 | Tanvier Peart

Posted on 07/03/2015 1:34:31 AM PDT by Berlin_Freeper

Many families look forward to Fourth of July celebrations that typically include delicious food and fireworks. While there's nothing wrong with observing the day, it's important to keep those who served in mind, as they might struggle with post-traumatic stress.

The nonprofit Military with PTSD is hoping to raise awareness about the effects fireworks can have on men and women who served in the military. Unfortunately noisemakers and firework displays used to commemorate our nation's independence can oftentimes be the very things that cause emotional distress on combat veterans.

(Excerpt) Read more at sheknows.com ...


TOPICS: Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: psychology; ptsd; veterans
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1 posted on 07/03/2015 1:34:31 AM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
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To: Berlin_Freeper
"No veteran that served the United States wants to take a freedom away from people, especially fireworks, which represent freedom. What they're asking for is for people to give them a heads-up."

Heads-up! For over 200, years people have celebrated with fireworks on July 4th in the United States. How did the combat veterans of the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the Spanish American War, World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam deal with each and every July 4th celebration after they returned?

2 posted on 07/03/2015 1:54:53 AM PDT by Flag_This (You can't spell "treason" without the "O".)
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To: Berlin_Freeper


3 posted on 07/03/2015 1:56:27 AM PDT by Viking2002 (The Avatar is back by popular request.)
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To: Flag_This

Hope they don’t go back into service. They’d be worthless under fire apparently.


4 posted on 07/03/2015 2:07:13 AM PDT by Dallas59 (Only a fool stumbles on things behind him.)
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To: Berlin_Freeper

How sensitive we have become.

I wonder why this generation of military veterans are scared of fireworks while all of us older generation of military veterans are not?

Must be something in the food. Or it just might be that we older vets simply thought that some of us who went through terrible times in war simply had “battle fatigue” and once home could convalesce and recover...and did.

What the hell has happened to the new generation? Anything and everything has a physiological solution today and everything can be blamed on anything.


5 posted on 07/03/2015 2:25:40 AM PDT by DH (Once the tainted finger of government touches anything the rot begins)
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To: DH

Maybe the way war is conducted is worse than in the past. In the past, humans were the limiting factors in how battles were fought. Now, machines often determine it and machines don’t have any psychological limits.


6 posted on 07/03/2015 2:44:51 AM PDT by Jonty30 (What Islam and secularism have in common is that they are both death cults)
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To: Berlin_Freeper

I wonder then where my dog got PTSD? If they can’t handle fireworks then they might want to spend they 4th in a rubber sound proof room with the TV turned up loud.


7 posted on 07/03/2015 2:46:55 AM PDT by BreezyDog
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To: DH
"I wonder why this generation of military veterans are scared of fireworks while all of us older generation of military veterans are not?"

That's what I found to be most revolting about this article: it slanders while claiming to be compassionate. This "nonprofit" organization, "Military with PTSD" is ultimately trying to use a small number of victims to eliminate firework displays, while at the same time implying that combat veterans, as a group, are about to snap at the slightest stress.

8 posted on 07/03/2015 2:47:52 AM PDT by Flag_This (You can't spell "treason" without the "O".)
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To: DH

Both of my grandfathers, my father, 3 uncles and 2 brothers saw combat. If fireworks bothered them they never ever told anyone about it.
I believe it is psychological. If you are told about a malady long enough you can get that malady.


9 posted on 07/03/2015 2:53:38 AM PDT by lucky american (Progressives are attacking our rights and y'all will sit there and take it.)
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To: Berlin_Freeper

this is news??...they’re surely smart enough not to go to these events....


10 posted on 07/03/2015 3:04:15 AM PDT by Sacajaweau (s)
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To: Flag_This; Dallas59

It’s good to hear from the experts: you two must have served in combat to have such well-formed opinions.

On the other hand, there’s my experience. I served for 17 months in direct combat in Vietnam and I hated fireworks displays, at least the ones that included those damn aerial bombs.

You see what your lives would be like if, for a significant period of your lives you had to stare at the ground ahead of you intently to try to avoid getting blown apart or had to dread that first steel-door slam of a mortar round hitting near you. Worse, try to imagine what it would be like to be able to hear the screams mixed into the bang when someone near you was caught in the blast.

You spend decades diving under things when a blast catches you by surprise, ducking your head down into your shoulders if you’re more prepared.

I voluntarily committed myself to more combat even after being hit badly and nearly a year in the hospital rebuilding my body.

I never cheated my family out of their 4th of July fireworks but I hated how it felt.

But I’m sure that your experience was better than mine.


11 posted on 07/03/2015 3:29:25 AM PDT by Chainmail (A simple rule of life: if you can be blamed, you're responsible.)
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To: DH

You’re blaming an entire generation and all veterans for some shitty article and some minuscule non-profit org?
Maybe you should try thinking before posting nonsense.


12 posted on 07/03/2015 3:29:37 AM PDT by EEGator
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To: Jonty30

Are you a veteran? I can tell by your statement that you have absolutely no idea of which you speak.

You need to turn off your video war games and walk out into the real world.


13 posted on 07/03/2015 3:31:21 AM PDT by DH (Once the tainted finger of government touches anything the rot begins)
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To: DH

Then we should outlaw fireworks altogether, for the sake of veterans.


14 posted on 07/03/2015 3:32:47 AM PDT by Jonty30 (What Islam and secularism have in common is that they are both death cults)
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To: EEGator

I believe you have a real reading comprehension problem.


15 posted on 07/03/2015 3:36:24 AM PDT by DH (Once the tainted finger of government touches anything the rot begins)
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To: DH

“I wonder why this generation of military veterans are scared of fireworks while all of us older generation of military veterans are not?”

“What the hell has happened to the new generation?”

You are in denial. Just admit you’re wrong.


16 posted on 07/03/2015 3:42:16 AM PDT by EEGator
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To: Chainmail
"But I’m sure that your experience was better than mine."

I volunteered Army, volunteered Infantry, volunteered Airborne and never saw combat. I at not point slandered you, or those who have seen combat. If you can't see the agenda driving this article then I can't help you.

17 posted on 07/03/2015 3:43:47 AM PDT by Flag_This (You can't spell "treason" without the "O".)
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To: Chainmail

I can remember first reading about this in an article about Bob Kalsu (the Buffalo Bills player who served and died in Vietnam about 1970). The last time he was on leave, he went to meet his wife in Hawaii and this took place around July 4th. Apparently, they were sitting somewhere minding their own business when someone set off fireworks nearby and the noise really unnerved and upset Kalsu, so as a result I do not doubt this sort of thing and what you have written about from that personal perspective.


18 posted on 07/03/2015 3:44:49 AM PDT by OttawaFreeper ("Keeping your stick down used to be a commandment, but not anymore" Harry Sinden, 1988)
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To: Flag_This

I don’t doubt that there is some sort of agenda - there alway is - but I’m certainly not against people enjoying their fireworks.

I’m just telling you that all of the combat vets I have known, including WW II vets, hated the damn things. You can’t go through what we experienced and not be affected.


19 posted on 07/03/2015 3:50:19 AM PDT by Chainmail (A simple rule of life: if you can be blamed, you're responsible.)
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To: Flag_This

The guy who is president of this org is a pretty big liar, check out his record.
http://thisainthell.us/blog/?p=60196


20 posted on 07/03/2015 3:51:10 AM PDT by jkeith3213
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