It’s Memorial Day, and we’re wrapping up Mental Health Awareness Month in Ohio and beyond. As the day comes to an end, it seems appropriate to reflect on the many sacrifices made by those who have served in the military, and for their families. Even when our servicemen and women have been lucky enough to come home safely from serving our country, many have left fallen comrades behind, and many return with psychological echoes of the extraordinary experiences they had while doing their duty. One Veteran in North Carolina is trying to do something good for Veterans who struggle with P.T.S.D., and we think his acknowledgement of this “invisible wound” is worth consideration. Here’s an excerpt from the story from WLOS, and I hope you’ll click the link below for the full story. And if you are struggling with depression or any other issues related to military service or losing a loved one who served, please take heart that you’re not alone, and that there are qualified people who can help.
Veteran Mark Becker was a door gunner during Vietnam, and on days like today, “first thing I got up this morning, I said a prayer for all the guys that have given their lives, I might get a little choked up,” says Becker.
On Memorial Day he struggles, thinking about all the young men who lost their lives and even those who lived. “People don’t realize what Veterans go through sometimes,” says Becker. Because the wounds mark and many other Vets struggle with aren’t visible. “I’ve been under suicide watches, I’ve been in fits of rage where Sheriffs had to escort me up there, I’ve torn the emergency room apart,” he says.
But he still believes they should be recognized. Thirty percent of Vietnam Veterans suffer from P.T.S.D. and more Vets of Iraq and Afghanistan are being diagnosed every day, which is why he wants to establish a medal specifically for P.T.S.D., separate from the purple heart. “Try to explain that with a man with no arms no legs, can’t walk that he’s getting the same medal for the same thing as a P.T.S.D. Now P.T.S.D. is a serious wound, it’s just an invisible wound,” says Becker.