By Donald Wittkowski
For most of us, Christmas is a time of joy and fond memories. For J.B. Daniel, one Christmas Day was filled with horror.
While serving in the U.S. Army in Iraq, he was wounded in the right hand and foot when a bomb hidden in a vehicle exploded next to his Humvee military truck on Dec. 25, 2004.
He said his physical wounds have since healed, but noted that he struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder, the mental health condition triggered by experiencing a terrifying event.
Daniel, of Columbia, S.C., is not alone in his battle with PTSD, known euphemistically as the “invisible wound.” PTSD and the alarming suicide rate among military veterans were prominently discussed Saturday during the eighth annual Walk for the Wounded charity event on the Ocean City Boardwalk.
Despite the somber tones, the event also served as an inspirational moment. Wounded veterans talked of how they have rebuilt their lives, started families, continued their education and extended a helping hand to others suffering from PTSD.
Ocean City Home Bank, which sponsors the Walk for the Wounded each year, expected to raise more than $100,000 from Saturday’s event, said Steve Brady, the bank’s president and chief executive officer. Since its inception, the walk has raised more than $500,000 for wounded veterans and their families.
The money goes to Operation First Response, a nonprofit organization that helps wounded veterans in need of assistance while making the transition from the military to civilian life.
“More than 97 cents of every dollar we earn at the walk will be given directly to wounded soldiers and their families, which means our supporters can feel confident that their donations are going to the right place and having the maximum positive impact,” Brady said in a statement.
Brady teamed up with his old Widener University roommate Phil Martelli to bring the event to Ocean City. Martelli, the coach of the St. Joseph’s University men’s basketball team, served as emcee of Saturday’s ceremonies. He told the crowd that the wounded veterans are the nation’s real heroes.
Heading the walk was Jesse Wallace, a retired Army sergeant who lost part of his right leg when Taliban forces attacked his convoy in Afghanistan in 2010.
Wallace, of Aberdeen, Md., used a specially designed recumbent cycle to lead the hundreds of walkers who took part in the event.
Wallace explained that his ongoing battle with PTSD has been more difficult than recovering from the amputation of his leg.
“I got over the physical thing,” he said. “But mentally, it’s a lot worse when you come home and you feel pretty much isolated.”
Daniel, meanwhile, said he often dealt with depression. The Christmas Day bombing was not his only traumatic experience in Iraq. Two of his fellow soldiers were killed in a firefight on Sept. 9, 2004.
“I had to pick my dead buddies off the ground,” he recalled.
Daniel said his wife and two daughters have helped him immensely in his recovery. He now works as a materials testing engineer and is going to school to become an electrical engineer.
“My job was in the military. Now, my job as a father and a husband surpasses that,” he said. “I have a beautiful wife and two kids.”
Although the three-mile walk raises money to help wounded veterans, it also serves to draw attention to their plight.
One speaker, former Marine Staff Sgt. Brian Siegman, told the crowd of his struggles with PTSD. Siegman, who lives in Upper Darby, Pa., said far too many of his fellow veterans are being neglected.
He cited statistics showing that about 20 veterans commit suicide each day, many of them overwhelmed by PTSD or depression.
“That’s because the war is not over when we come home,” Siegman said.
