Joe would never mention any of this because he doesnt brag about himself and he NEVER says anything about the military that is negative but today on Veterans Day I wanted to share a bit about him. Joe entered the United States Marine Corps as a recruit and went through training at MCRD San Diego. He was just a kid who really didnt have a lot of options in life and college was just not something he was interested in at the time. He wasnt the smartest, fastest or strongest Marine in boot camp...he didnt earn any special awards..but he graduated and was soon sent to AAV School where he became an AAV crewman. I met and married him after he was already in the Corps for 1 year. Every day he would get up at 5 am and go to work. He worked really long hours, often not coming home until 7 pm. This was no desk job either. He would bust rust as they say and came home filthy every night. Somehow despite the hard work...he loved his job. He was promoted...usually on time with his peers...sometimes a little ahead of them..sometimes behind. He went to Operation Desert Storm and was gone when our first son was born. He always was very proud of his service. Over the years, the Marine Corps was good to us. We had great medical care and had the opportunity to travel a lot. We even lived in Spain for 3 years and Joe got to meet the Commandant and the Sergeant Major of The Marine Corps...which was a highlight for him. After serving for 12 years, Joe was nominated by an Officer to become an Officer too. His application was rejected. At this time Joe was still working very long hours, going to school full time and rehabbing our house...AKA The Money Pit. I thought that when he was not selected for the Meritorious Commissioning Program he would be bitter. I sure was. But he just said, I guess it just wasnt meant to be. A year later, his package was re-submitted and he was selected for the program. We were both ecstatic...especially since that had been a very hard year on our family. After he was commissioned he served in Iraq and Afghanistan multiple times. He was never seriously injured but was near a few bomb blasts, saw a lot of death and lost some friends. In 2008 I noticed a subtle but sad change to my Marine. He was always on edge and the smallest things would set him off. Eventually he was diagnosed with PTSD but he always felt bad about that diagnosis because he said he didnt feel he deserved it. He wasnt ever shot or had any body parts blown off. He didnt understand...and I still dont think he does..that you dont have to be physically injured to get PTSD. On July 31st Joe retired after 25 years and 2 months in the Corps. We are now waiting on the VA to help us with his medical care. He has had 3 back surgeries, 2 shoulder surgeries, a surgery on his foot, face and is documented to have Gulf War Syndrome....which is odd because I didnt even realize the military acknowledged that. He started all of his paperwork for the VA in March and we just received notice that he wont get a VA entitlement decision letter until sometime between February and June. Joe seems okay with this...but I am furious. How can someone who served faithfully and even above and beyond what was asked of them be treated this way? We have Tricare insurance...but he cant be seen for any of his service related injuries until after he receives this determination letter. I know the new director of the VA has vowed to make changes and I pray he does but in the meantime we are in limbo. I think we are so fortunate because Joe has a job and his retirement pay...but what about those who are not as lucky as us? Today on Veterans day take a minute to thank a vet and know that scars come in all shapes and sizes.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 22:00:40 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015