Veteran Short Stories

BRAD,  I SAT AND CRIED FOR THIRTY MINUTES AFTER SPEAKING TO YOU ON THE PHONE . THE THOUGHT OF SOMEONE HAVING MY BACK THAT CAN REALLY UNDERSTAND MY STRESS LEVEL WHEN I LEAVE MY HOUSE, WHEN I LAY IN BED WITH MY NIGHT LIGHT ON, WHEN I COME CRASHING OUT OF A NIGHTMARE, CHECKING EXITS WHEN I ENTER ANY BUILDING, AND MOST OF ALL PEOPLE NEAR/BEHIND ME. PEOPLE DON’T UNDERSTAND…

I JUST SPOKE TO MY DOCTOR TODAY ABOUT HOW MANY MEDS I’M ON AND WHY SO MANY. HE SAYS I NEED THEM AND THE THERAPIST, AND I SAID I’M TIRED OF ALL THE DAMN DRUGS AND TELLING PEOPLE HOW I FEEL. THEN THIS LADY TOLD ME MAYBE I SHOULD SEE ABOUT GETTING A SERVICE DOG….

THEN YOU SENT THIS EMAIL AND YOU ARE GIVING ME HOPE THAT I COULD GET OFF AT LEAST SOME OF THE DRUGS AND FEEL SOME TYPE OF COMFORT/SAFETY IN MY LIFE.

I KNOW YOU HAVEN’T DONE ANYTHING YET BUT THANK YOU FOR ALL SOLDIERS AND VETERANS

I enjoyed talking to you also. I filled out and submitted my application to you. My PTSD doctor is out of town for two weeks on vacation and as soon as she returns, I will have her fill out her portion. I read the other information and am looking forward to the next chapter in my life with my new battle buddy. No matter if it’s a boy or girl, I’m going to name it “Semper” (as in Semper Fi) in honor of the 18 brothers I lost. I was a combat medic in Iraq and an engineer with the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force Forward. You never unsee or forget the horrific tragedies, stop seeing the bloody bodies or hearing the screams, the explosions or the gun fire. I wish that I had Semper now, before the 4th of July weekend but I’ll patiently wait. I wanted you to know that I greatly appreciate what your service offers to combat veterans and the incredible surge of hope that I now feel thanks to your organization. I know it might take awhile to get through the training but I’m pretty damn stubborn and patient when it comes to animals and kids. For what you do for me, I will succeed. Again, thank you for speaking with me and understanding my plight, the anxiety, nightmares, crowds, weird shopping hours, crowds, etc. The fact that you do all of this at no cost to me, I can train locally and I don’t have to stay in a strange place or travel far is just astounding! The bonus is that I get to have Semper with me the whole time, every day and night, 24/7/365. I’m so ready to get started.

Just last night I had two dreams
And during each one he pawed at me,
To wake me from the horrific scenes
I saw in Iraq when those detainees
Who killed and injured those I knew
Cursed at me while I bandaged their wounds;
And when I dreamed this dream last night,
Right in the dream when it caused a fright
In my heart, in my mind, in my soul – thank God
That my Service Dog Watson stopped it all.

The second dream was so vivid to me
I heard the screams of a little baby
Who was bleeding from shrapnel in her hand,
And right when it felt like the enemy’s plan
To mortar the COB where I was at –
It’s as though Watson knew to stop all that.
When he woke me from this second dream,
Really a nightmare…his soothing
Paws that touched my face
Reminded me of God’s saving grace
That kept me safe while I was deployed;
And now I testify my life is enjoyed
With my Buddy, my Friend
All the way to the end –
My Service Dog Watson…I LOVE HIM!!! 🙂

“Hello my name is Erik my “dog” is named Kaiser he ain’t a dog but a battle-buddy. Leah is our trainer she is the BEST!!! I applied to many programs only having those programs sending me mail asking for donations. NOT THIS ORIGINATION!!! Having a service “dog”  which is your battle buddy can help so many combat veterans. I have TBI and PTSD. Kaiser came to me from a broken home going though divorce. When I took his Leash for the fist time he never looked back to his old handler or the home he was leaving. Kaiser realized that a New mission was ahead. That was how we met. Yes when Leah ask me about my needs and disabilities type of breeds  in a phone call not asking for money. My response was Rottweller  German Shepard Dobermans.  Leah was like those breeds don’t work well as service dogs they are working dogs military law enforcement ect. PS I was a Military Police Officer. Leah found Kaiser needing a home and tested him to see if he might work. Yup it has been a success!! By the way my last dog was a Rott I named him Kaiser he weighed 172 pounds. I didn’t name my service dog he came with the name. He only weighs 92 pounds yes he is small lol. When your stars align you get blessings when your stars cross that means tribulations I have been though that done it. In German Kaiser means King Leader or Leader of soldiers depending how the word is used.”