Triggering Fireworks

From WMUR:
"Fireworks can trigger terrifying memories for veterans"

 

For some military veterans, Fourth of July celebrations induce cold sweats and panic.  The sound of fireworks exploding can trigger terrifying combat memories, said Howie Howe, a veteran advocate who served in Vietnam. Now there is a national effort to create awareness and empathy for vets who suffer from PTSD. The “Explosion of Kindness” campaign is aimed at asking for courtesy, not banning the beloved tradition of fireworks. Howe enlisted in the marines when he was 17 years old. As a helicopter machine gunner, he was shot down three times during his two years in Vietnam. 44 years later, pyrotechnics still make his heart race. “When I hear a rocket go off, probably the first ten years I was back, I was ready to hit the dirt, because I didn't know where it was going to land,” said Howe. In Raymond, a sign in the front lawn says, “Combat Veteran Lives Here. Please Be Courteous With Fireworks”. The couple who live at the home are both veterans. The husband saw combat in Iraq ten years ago and still suffers from severe PTSD. Since June, the "Military With PTSD" organization distributed 2500 signs asking for courtesy not a complete ban. “Sometimes it's a veterans own family members that need a reminder,” said Howe. Veterans say they can choose to stay away from the professional fireworks shows this time of year.  It's the random explosions set off by unwitting neighbors that are the hardest to cope with.

^ It is sometimes hard for those of us (like myself) to know these kinds of things. It makes sense that fireworks would trigger those kinds of bad memories. ^


http://www.wmur.com/news/fireworks-can-trigger-terrifying-memories-for-veterans/33985808