The Fourth of July is a patriotic holiday for Americans, one that I’m sure many of us would think veterans and military personnel would be excited to participate in. But there is a dark side to the holiday that most of us would never even think of.
In a photo uploaded to Tumbler and then shared on Facebook, a veteran holds up a sign in front of his house with a special plea:
While fireworks have become synonymous with the holiday, for many veterans who have fought in battle, the loud bangs and booms bring back terrible and haunting memories that trigger their post traumatic stress disorder.
One Facebook commenter, Aja van Nus, wrote, “I had a neighbor who left the country every 4th because of his PTSD from Vietnam. Sad thing for a vet to have to do on the celebration of our country’s independence.”
If you see one of these signs in your neighborhood or you know that you live near a veteran, be courteous this holiday and maybe just watch the fireworks on TV instead. It will probably be a better show anyway!
Do you want to help our veterans this Fourth of July? So share this!
If you are a veteran and would like to get one of these signs for free, click here.