re: Is it insensitive to veterans to have a fireworks show not on a major holiday?

quote:

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So, in your opinion, artillery is the only cause of PTSD?

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Quite the opposite, I'm saying that a reaction from fireworks is the direct cause from being "shell shocked" which imo isn't the same as PTSD. Look everyone sees it differently I'm just giving my opinion on what me and other combat veterans talk about. Yes you can have PTSD from mortars, IEDs, grenades, and rounds hitting by you, but I don't see that as a reason to be shell shocked. I see the men who got bombarded with heavy artillery on a daily basis as being that.

I was in an area where we had a total of over 3k IEDs in one year. Many of them blew our vehicles in half, but none of my friends seemed to be affected by fireworks. We had a lot of snipers who shot at us that awarded the most Purple Hearts in the 101st at that time and most seem to laugh when they see people talk about fireworks that way.

Do I flinch when a loud noise goes off? Yes, but so do most people that haven't had the same experiences.

For myself I define my PTSD as I have a hard time smelling BBQ because it smells exactly like burnt flesh from a Humvee being blown up or survivors guilt or dreams about falling because I guy accidentally fell from a helicopter or any near death experience you had. I don't couple shell shocked and PTSD.

Of course that's just my take and not everyone else's.