SHAWANO (NBC 26) — The Fourth of July is a fun day of celebration for many Americans, but for some combat veterans like Mike Engel, Independence Day means painful flashbacks.
“Since I’ve been out, Fourth of July has kind of been me going back to being in war zones," he said.
When the U.S. Army vet hears fireworks, his mind goes back to a roadside bombing in Baghdad in 2006, he said.
"That day is still a complete blur to me," said Engel.
He suffered a traumatic brain injury that still affects him today.
“I get flashbacks," he said. "I disassociate severely, pretty much black out. I’ll probably get a couple booms in, and I’m gone.“
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, anywhere from 11 to 20 percent of vets who served in Iraq suffer from PTSD.
“We've got Vietnam veterans, Iraq, Afghanistan," said Engel. "Not all of us are affected the same, but there are a bunch of us I know of that we just can’t do it.”
Engel put a sign in his yard that says, ‘Please be respectful with fireworks, a combat veteran lives here.'
“My neighbors will come walk across the street, let me know they’re going to let them off about an hour ahead of time," he said. "And I’ll just go somewhere. Go visit my parents, go visit my brother, where I know I’m safe, where I know there’s no fireworks going off at that time.“
Engel’s wife and kids will go see fireworks every Fourth, but he always stays home.
“I love independence day," he said. "I’ll celebrate it as much as I can.“
Engel never wants to squash anyone’s Fourth of July fun, he said. Just a small heads-up to your veteran neighbors can make a big difference.
