On Veterans Day, Shore Regional High School was visited by many veterans. Two of them were Larry Seymour and James Brereton. After serving in the military in Iraq, both suffered from PTSD.

PTSD stands for posttraumatic stress disorder. It’s not rare that veterans are diagnosed with this disorder. It is very hard for men and women who served in the military to go back to their normal ways of life once they return to the U.S. When they’re in the military, they may see combat. They may have been on missions that exposed them to horrible, life threatening experiences. These types of experiences may lead to PTSD. The factors that they experienced while serving that could lead to PTSD could include what they did in war, the politics around the war, where the war was fought, and the type of enemy they face. These are the things Larry and James experienced.

James Brereton received a service dog, along with many medicines, to help him with his PTSD. His service dog is a golden retriever named Bernie. Whenever he’s feeling stressed, all he has to do is scratch his dog beneath his ears, and he’ll feel relaxed. However, sometimes Brereton isn’t allowed to bring his dog to certain places, such as burn zones in hospitals and food preparation rooms in restaurants. He was actually thrown out of a local business because of Bernie. Thankfully, there are more things than just service dogs that can help with PTSD. For example, Larry Seymour enjoys Operation Beach Run, an organization that helps veterans who suffer with PTSD.

Being a part of the military takes confidence, determination, training, and courage. There is always the initial fear, though. When asked if he was ever scared while serving, James Brereton said, “Anyone who tells you they weren’t scared when serving, they were lying. Having courage is key. Courage is being terrified but being able to work through it.”