Fireworks Can Trigger PTSD For Some Veterans

For many veterans, the Fourth of July is not a day to go out and celebrate, but an instant reminder of war's lasting effects.

The load noises and sounds of fireworks can bring traumatic memories for those suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Imagine the sound of fireworks sending someone into a stressful, emotional and even painful experience.

News 9 was told fireworks can be that trigger, and many times it's out of the veterans control.

“July Fourth, we were at a big park laying on a pallet just like any other American, enjoying the day, enjoying the holiday and what it stands for,” veteran Gregory Coats said.

And Coats had just returned from Iraq after being wounded in battle, but the battle didn't end once he returned home. On July 4, 2005, he says the unexpected happened.

“That first mortar tube that they sent off, it was boom, boom, boom,” Coats said. “It instantly reminded me of being back in combat and hearing the indirect fire from the mortar tubes.”

Coats found himself in full combat mode.

“I jump up and I'm reaching for my rifle just like I would do in the streets of Iraq or whatever theater you served in. It absolutely set me back there in less than the blink of an eye,” Coats said.

Instantly in uncontrollable survival mode, Coats went from celebrating to preparing for a fire fight.

“It's just the unexpected stuff, the unexpected bangs,” he said. “One, it embarrasses me because I show weakness.”

Major General Rita Aragon is the liaison to Governor Fallin for all military and veterans issues.

“That fear, that unbridled panic, is just as real as something that just happened to him,” Aragon said.

On this holiday, many veterans with PTSD isolate themselves, she said.

“The way to deal with it is to know yourself, know what your capabilities are,” she said.

Aragon said as many as one in three veterans have suffered from some level of PTSD.

“A lot of these veterans carry scars that we can't see,” Coats said.