The Fury of the Fourth

A great and patriotic longstanding tradition is blowing off 4th of July Fireworks! I mean, who doesn't love the gorgeous blasts of color decorating the night sky?

Well, I'll tell you who. The Combat Veterans.

Anybody who is intimately involved with a Combat Vet knows what the fireworks sound like to someone who is suffering from Combat PTSD. They sound like IEDs and/or gunfire.

IEDs are "improvised explosive devices" that are commonly used in places like Afghanistan and Iraq during battle. Don't let the "improvised" part fool you either. Although they are generally homemade bombs, they are very deadly and disfiguring.

You know those pictures that you see of soldiers missing limbs? Generally, you can thank an IED for those un-improvements to the human body.

Recently we read a post that basically said that any Veteran that is afraid of a little fireworks is a sissy. OH HELL NO! They have a very substantiated fear of a device that has killed and/or ripped the limbs off of their Brothers and Sisters in Arms.

One of the things that I think is very important to keep in mind that although the rest of us love the fireworks, there's a lot of Combat Vets out there that hate them - and with good reason.

However, there are ways to get away from the "Fury of the Fourth" if the Veteran and his (or her) caregiver are willing to get a little creative.

• Headphones are a great way to not have to hear all of the ruckus going on. Just plug in your favorite action packed and LOUD movie and turn it on as soon as the sun goes down.

• Go to a casino. Sure the slot machine sounds are annoying as hell but guess what they don't sound like? Yep, you guessed it! IEDs! Plus you might be able to win a little money!

• Book a fancy hotel room in a big city that is not having a fireworks show that night. Fancy hotels are that for a reason - usually because they insulate the heck out of them so as not to have guests disturbed by other guests. This extra insulation also serves as buffer for sounds from the outside.

• Go camping in a remote area that is NOT by a lake. For whatever reasons, people love to pollute our precious water ways with fireworks debris around the Fourth of July. Sure the reflection looks cool, but a bottle rocket stick in your foot doesn't feel so good. I bet the fish don't like them too much either.

What about if you aren't the caregiver of a Wounded Warrior? Well, there's plenty of things that you can do to help our Nations Warriors by being respectful.

• Numero Uno, try to LIMIT your fireworks activities to the Fourth ONLY! No Veteran wants to tell you not to practice your God given right to light fireworks. However, they don't want to listen to them for two weeks straight. Plus most Combat Vets can't afford to spend multiple evenings at the Casino to get away from you.

• If your immediate neighbor is a Combat Vet, suggest doing your fireworks activities at a friend or relative's house. Sure, it might be a pain in the rear to pack up the kids and take them somewhere. But I'll tell you what an even bigger pain in the rear is...a TRIGGERED Combat Vet.

• WARN YOUR NEIGHBORS. Maybe you just moved in and you're planning a "House Warming/fourth of July" party but don't know the neighborhood yet. Have the kids create a sign that says "We WILL be having a Fourth of July party here on the 4th. Fireworks will be used. Just a warning for our Nation's Combat Vets. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE" and stick it in the yard a few days before the party. Your local Combat Vet will thank you.

• Random Fireworks at 2 a.m. are NOT amusing. I think that we all can reasonably expect that most fireworks shows are done by midnight. Don't be the neighborhood wise ass and start blowing them off at 2 a.m. You'll be certain to make people mad - especially the Grunt from down the street. Raging Combat Vets aren't exactly good times.

As you can see, there's plenty of ways that you can make the Fourth a happy and enjoyable holiday for all - as long as you are willing to be a little bit accommodating. Like I said, it's not that the Vets DON'T WANT YOU to enjoy the holiday. It's because the fireworks scare the living hell out of them - and with good reason!