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Signs For Vets With PTSD May Help Awareness On 4th Of July, But Raise Questions

A sign from MilitaryWithPTSD.org (photo by Melissa Goodbear)
A sign from MilitaryWithPTSD.org (photo by Melissa Goodbear)

This Fourth of July, yard signs may pop up on your street alerting you that a neighboring veteran with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) could be affected by the sound of crackling rockets and booming fireworks.

Jon Reiss is Executive Director of the Cuyahoga County Veterans Service Commission.  He says there are more than 80,000 veterans in the county, and it’s possible fireworks can heighten alertness and anxiety among those who saw combat. 

But Reiss warns that while the intention is good, the lawn signs might hurt rather than help vets.

“Is there a disadvantage to notifying your neighbors that you have a service-connected disability?" asks Reiss. "Specifically PTSD, which we know --right or wrong -- has been typecasted or stereotyped in the population, from things to employment to otherwise. 

"So while I’m glad that there’s an organization out there fulfilling a need that veterans are interested in fulfilling, I’ve got to wonder if it’s always in the best interest of the veteran.”

Reiss also questions how useful the signs are since cities won’t cancel their fireworks, and it’s unlikely people setting them off in a neighborhood will stop altogether.

The signs are made and distributed by an Indiana non-profit ( http://www.militarywithptsd.org/) that supports vets with PTSD.  Of the 2,500 ordered to date, at least 100 have been sent to Ohio.