David Streeter Defends The Castle After Iraq

His Home Is The Castle

JAY CONNER/staff
David Streeter works at The Castle in Ybor City. He is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder from his time in Iraq.

By HAROLD VALENTINE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 15, 2008

Updated: 03/13/2008 07:23 pm



TAMPA - When he came home from Iraq, Paula Streeter's son had a habit of driving in the middle of the road "because he didn't want to get blown up" by roadside bombs, she said.

But that was only when he was willing to leave the house.

After serving 10 months in Iraq as an Army military policeman, David Streeter, 23, was diagnosed with depression and post-traumatic stress syndrome and was honorably discharged May 30, 2005. He returned home to live with his parents in Citrus Park and then spent the next six months in his bed with a severe loss of appetite.

"He was always boney," said Tim Fisher, Streeter's friend since seventh grade at Davidsen Middle School. "But he got down to 130" pounds. Streeter is 6 feet tall.

Fisher said Streeter wasn't the same person. Fisher tried to take him to a few rock concerts, and his demeanor would improve for a short time, "but it was too soon."

"My psychologist told me I need to force myself to do this stuff," Streeter said. "Otherwise, I'd end up being a hermit the rest of my life."

Streeter said he has been receiving treatment at the James A. Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa since he came home. But he said he knows other soldiers who have returned from Iraq with similar problems and are not getting treatment.




Copyright TBO.com Staff
Citrus Park resident David Streeter is an Iraq war veteran who suffers from post traumatic stress disorder. Streeter, who has been visiting a psychologist and psyciatrist for several months, says his "new platoon" is at a club in Ybor City where he now works; fellow employees there have finally helped him feel normal again. This is a COPY of a photo of Streeter in uniform. PHOTO PROVIDED BY DAVID STREETER

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