FLORENCE, S.C. (WBTW)- Fireworks will be going off with a bang all weekend, but for some they cause more anxiety than celebration. For Fred Dowling there’s nothing more he loves than flipping through the pages of his photo album and remembering the times shared with his friends while serving in the military. But after returning home after the war his life made a complete turn.
“Since I retired I started to have more dreams about being in combat and things of that nature,” says Dowling.
That’s when his love for fireworks and explosive toys came to an end.
“When I came home a little kid did some fireworks right in the back of me one time and my initial response was to almost dive into the gutter,” Dowling added.
It was a response to take action.
Dowling says, if that had been anybody near my size I would have hit them because it was very upsetting.
The unexpected sounds of explosions from fireworks can bring back horrifying memories of combat, which in turn can bring on PTSD symptoms.
“Believe me if you tell anybody who has ever been in combat that an AK-47 has a very distinct sound and you don’t want to hear it because when you heard an AK-47, unpleasant things were about to happen,” mentioned Dowling.
But Dowling says he won’t let others who are celebrating the holiday weekend keep him from having a clear focus and enjoying his family.
“I stop and think and reflect for a few minutes, but I always try to keep my mind moving forward and always think forward or in the present,” said Dowling.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder affects almost 31 percent of Vietnam veterans.
