Honored at State of the Union in 2003 and PTSD

From the Peak of Honor to the Depths of Despair, A Soldier's Struggle with PTSD
Chris Vaughn


Star-Telegram

Jul 07, 2008
July 6, 2008 - Nate Self sat in the Capitol gallery, just two months before the invasion of Iraq, as a guest of the president and first lady during the 2003 State of the Union address.

He was a Waco boy (although he lived two years in Benbrook), a handsome Army captain, decorated with a Silver Star for valor and back home to recount the bravery of his Rangers on a 10,000-foot mountain in Afghanistan during a 15-hour fight against al Qaeda.

But Self, a devout Baptist and 1998 West Point graduate, represents more than heroism in battle.

He now also epitomizes the hidden toll that war can take. Recovering from suicidal-level post-traumatic stress from combat, Self, 32, wrote a book called Two Wars: One Hero’s Fight on Two Fronts — Abroad and Within.

His story begins in March 2002 during Operation Anaconda, launched by U.S. forces to prevent the escape of thousands of al Qaeda and Taliban fighters into Pakistan. Self led a "quick reaction force" of Rangers to the snow-capped Takur Ghar mountain to bring back a missing Navy SEAL named Neil Roberts.
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