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 Gourley's husband Justin, who served in the U.S. Navy from 2000 to
2004, is one of about 500,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans with
post-traumatic stress disorder, which can be worsened by the cracks
and thunder of celebratory fireworks.
"Anytime that we get scared, we react. They do the same thing," said
Gourley, whose husband becomes anxious at the sound of fireworks,
paces back and forth and searches for ways to guard his family.
This year, in an effort to expose an issue about which many veterans
feel shame, the Gourleys launched a sign campaign to educate their
neighbors about the effects of fireworks on combat veterans.
The group, Military with PTSD, on Wednesday was finishing up mailing
out nearly 4,000 signs reading "Combat veteran lives here, please be
courteous with fireworks," to veterans who requested them, Gourley
said. Another 3,400 people are on the waiting list to receive a free
sign.
About 31 percent of Vietnam War veterans and 10 percent of Gulf War
veterans suffer from PTSD, according to the National Institutes of
Health.
The loud blasts and flickering lights that resemble gunfire and
other battleground noises can trigger panic attacks and other stress
responses linked to the illness, according to the Veterans Health
Administration.
The campaign asks residents to inform their veteran neighbors about
when and where they plan to set off fireworks so the former
servicemen can prepare. It also aims to start a conversation between
non-veterans and veterans, whose PTSD can cause feelings of
isolation and a desire to avoid crowds.
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"All they want is a heads-up," Gourley said.
The idea that veterans are anti-fireworks is a misconception that
has led to criticism of the campaign, she said.
On the Military with PTSD Facebook page, which has more than 160,000
followers, some people have called it a way to spoil patriotic
festivities.
The page also carries thousands of messages of support, many from
people with family members suffering from PTSD.
One user recalled a childhood memory of his father, a Vietnam
veteran, diving into a ditch after forcing himself to watch
fireworks on a family outing: "I never knew how bad fireworks could
bother someone as big and tough as my dad."
(Reporting by Laila Kearney in New York; Editing by Scott Malone and
Eric Walsh)
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