I am the proud wife of a veteran.
My husband served in OIF as an E7 Scout Platoon Sgt in the Montana National Guard and came home a changed man. His Humvee suffered an IED explosion in February 2005. He went on to suffer numerous secondary blast incidents. He tells me constantly how he would like to thank those people who built the up-armored Humvee, because it saved his life and his men’s.
They all walked away, but he didn’t walk away unhurt.
On the outside, he looked just fine. After his return, doctors diagnosed him with hidden injuries: PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). There are days he’s not allowed to drive. Days he battles anxiety and anger. There are days he doesn’t resemble the man I fell in love with.