Army Pfc. Joseph P. Dwyer, 26, from Suffolk County, N.Y., carries a boy injured in a firefight between the 7th Cavalry Regiment and Iraqi militia troops near Al Faysaliyah village, south of Baghdad.
Credit: Warren Zinn, Army Times
Soldier in photo dies after PTSD struggle
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Jul 3, 2008 15:56:51 EDT
During the first week of the war in Iraq, a Military Times photographer captured the arresting image of Army Spc. Joseph Patrick Dwyer as he raced through a battle zone clutching a tiny Iraqi boy named Ali.
The photo was hailed as a portrait of the heart behind the U.S. military machine, and Doc Dwyer’s concerned face graced the pages of newspapers across the country.
But rather than going on to enjoy the public affection for his act of heroism, he was consumed by the demons of combat stress he could not exorcise. For the medic who cared for the wounds of his combat buddies as they pushed toward Baghdad, the battle for his own health proved too much to bear.
On June 28, Dwyer, 31, died of an accidental overdose in his home in Pinehurst, N.C., after years of struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder. During that time, his marriage fell apart as he spiraled into substance abuse and depression. He found himself constantly struggling with law, even as friends, Veterans Affairs personnel and the Army tried to help him.
“Of course he was looked on as a hero here,” said Capt. Floyd Thomas of the Pinehurst Police Department. Still, “we’ve been dealing with him for over a year.”
The day he died, Dwyer apparently took pills and inhaled the fumes of an aerosol can in an act known as “huffing.” Thomas said Dwyer then called a taxi company for a ride to the hospital. When the driver arrived, “they had a conversation through the door [of Dwyer’s home],” Thomas said, but Dwyer could not let the driver in. The driver asked Dwyer if he should call the police. Dwyer said yes. When the police arrived, they asked him if they should break down the door. He again said yes.
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/07/military_suicidedwyer_070308w/
Death casts shadow over photographer’s famous shot
By Gina Cavallaro - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Jul 3, 2008 15:50:59 EDT
Warren Zinn felt sucker-punched the day he learned that former Pfc. Joe Dwyer had died.
Sitting in his office with the image of the young soldier he had made famous more than five years ago hanging above his desk, Zinn looked at Dwyer’s face and considered the poison-pen emails he received from people he doesn’t know, people who suggested he had contributed to the troubled man’s death.
“The sad thing is that he clearly had a problem coming back from this war and nothing was done about it, or not enough was done,” said Zinn, 30, a former Military Times photographer now a law student at the University of Miami. “I think it’s almost like an indication of the war right now.”
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/07/military_dwyer_photographer_070308w/
From war hero to war haunted
LI vet depicted in famous struggle with menacing stress disorder that escalated to a standoff
BY INDRANI SEN, STAFF WRITER
October 23, 2005
Army Spc. Joseph Dwyer angled a mirror out the back window of his apartment in El Paso, Texas, trying to make out the Iraqis in the evening gloom. He couldn't see them, but he felt that they were out there somewhere, ready to attack.
Holding his 9-mm handgun tight, the 29-year-old medic from Mount Sinai phoned in an air strike using military code. He directed the fighter jets to his own street address.
Then he heard a noise from the roof - maybe an Iraqi trying to get in? - and that's when Dwyer began firing.
Nobody was hurt in the three-hour standoff Oct. 6 in which Dwyer, deep in a post-traumatic stress-induced delusion, barricaded himself into his apartment, fighting off an imaginary Iraqi attack.
Back then, an image of hope
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http://fox17.trb.com/ny-liptsd234481526oct23,1,421499.story
Please stop with the sympathy for this guy.
ReplyDeleteHe was a drug addict, addicted to HUFFING DUST OFF.
The way you guys are characterizing this guy as suffering from PTSD is in accurate. He came back and was addicted to DUST OFF, not suffering from PTSD... but he played it off as PTSD so he could get the free meal ticket.
A lot of people who become addicted to stuff have been great in there prior to addiction years, but after time, the addiction takes over their lives.
This is what happened here.
This guy is giving all us Vetrans and Service Members a bad name.
The VA tried to help him and so did the Army. They both identified him as a DRUG ADDICT, but because of his 'photo op' he was awarded the PTSD and given a medical discharge.
These guys are few and far between. The military is NOT riddled and full of reluctant warrior or silent suffering.
This is all media hype with an agenda.
The war is just and has kept us attack free here in America.
Please hang your conspiracies at the door.
Please stop glorifying this guy.
Glorify the Navy Seal that REALLY sacrificed his life for his country and his team.
There are Hundreds of Thousands of serviceman who have served and are serving with out issue and this story is putting all of us to shame as if we are a weak military.
The people supporting this guy need to read up at the Alcohol Anonymous site and read about Co-Dependancy.
Sincerly,
Joe Dunkle (US Army, Active Duty, 5 tours to theater, 3 12 mos, and 2 18 mos) I think I am qualified to judge this guy.
There was a time when people said the same thing about people I know and love including my own husband. In his darkest days, he was called a "druggie and alcoholic" as well. My own family wanted me to get a divorce. It didn't matter that I was doing outreach work for years and tried to explain that he was not a drug addict or an alcoholic, but he was trying to kill off feelings and memories haunting him. His was a different war. It was Vietnam. Generations before him were simple humans placed in combat and just as wounded. Warfare may have changed through the centuries but humans have not.
ReplyDeleteNow you can pass off suffering as much as you want. You can dismiss the fact that events can change the way people act and what they do. That's up to you, however I would rather remember the years with my husband and find compassion for Dwyer and his family because I have seen all of this first hand. Seeing these men and women for days or weeks, is not the same as having a history with them, spending a lifetime with them, knowing their hopes, dreams, character and heart as well as how they are dying inside. If I listened to people like you, I would not be going on my 24th year married to my husband and he may not be alive today. He's the reason I do what I do because he also happens to be one of the most kindest, gentle man I've ever met. His life was worth saving. Their lives are worth saving no matter how much you want to dismiss their suffering.
Whatever agenda you were hoping to prove here, you failed. The VA has the best programs to help the veterans and they have saved many lives, but there are problems that need to be addressed. My husband is still in treatment and will be for the rest of his life, but that is because of the people at the VA taking great care of him. You still need to open your eyes when there are problems in the VA so that all veterans receive this help.
Trying to defend the action in Iraq has nothing to do with if Dwyer was wounded by PTSD or not. It has nothing to do with anything other than they are humans in combat. It has nothing to do with courage or being a patriot, is not Democratic or Republican. It is simply being a human.
As you think you are "qualified to judge him" I am qualified to defend him and all the others who are wounded for the sake of this nation no matter what combat they risked their lives in.
Now I'm sure you were very brave and saw things you would rather have not seen. You were lucky to not have to suffer for it but the rate of PTSD, no matter what the cause, is one out of three. Redeployments increase the risk by 50%. You are one of the lucky ones who can stand there and feel as if you are better than others. It's just a shame that in the process you have forgotten compassion along the way.
wow, what ruthlessness, sir. qualified to judge you are not. this young man sacrificed the best years of his life to save the life of others, he did serve, and did a great job. no, he is not a hero, he is a human being. were you a medic, by the way? do you know what personality it takes to want to help, save, and heal others? it appears you do not. PSTD is real, and many people act strangely after being exposed to atrocities and life-threatening situations - it's human. many Vietnam vets came back addicts. why??? 2 reasons: they were provided the drugs while still in Vietnam (oh, didn't you know that?) and they used them to cope with the pain. not everyone is a cold hearted killer by nature. and you, you seem to lack compassion, so it's no surprise you have not been affected. be grateful that you haven't been affected (yet). and be merciful to those whose lives were destroyed by this ugly, evil beast called war, even before their souls left this world. no, judge you are not qualified to do. let God almighty be the judge.
ReplyDeleteDear anonymous
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. You said it better than I did.
I have been an 11B (Infantry) for 15 years and I know soldiers, especially the combat types, in which now that I am a platoon sgt, I have a squad of medics that work for me, so I know what medics do on the battle field... and to this day now, I have lead hundreds of soldiers.
ReplyDeleteI have seen my share of battles, more than most probably, having served 2160 days over there. My soldiers and I have seen horrors you in your cushy little world can not imagine. ... of course most people these days probably believe everything you see on TV or in the Movies. And I have found that because of this people I run into 'imagine' they know what war is like.
Hopefully the ones that disliked my earlier post are not like this.
This is probably where someone might see me as 'ruthless' for my comments here. Because they just don't know the military or the small sliver they do know is by no means a representation of any measurable amount.
PTSD, I truly do not think Joe had this. Mainly becaue I knew the guy... But I guess that doesn't count. Nor the fact the number of guys that I have seen and met who I know personally that DO have PTSD don't behave like Joe did. My diagnosis: Joe had MOVIE PTSD and I have seen this sell more than once.
Drinking is the big drug of choice for guys with PTSD. Some turn to Pot and others get used to taking Ambien (for sleep) and some form of serotonin inhibitor like Celexa. I am sure these were the meds they gave Joe, as this is the VA's and DoD's standard prescription for PTSD. And when taken as prescribed, they give no visible side effects. Because as you know, PTSD is directly linked with increased serotonin levels and is prescribed to deflate the stress that is causing the disorder.
I know because I have plenty of soldiers that come back from a deployment, go see the psych, and get these prescriptions... and they take these med's even after they ETS from the military.
I have seen the drug addicts, and I knew Joe during the first push with 3ID. I know his type, and he was one of the 'partiers'.
This is not Vietnam, this is not the 1960's/70's. These guys who 'party' over there do so with what ever they can get their hands on.
There are some real criminals that abuse the VA and DoD medical system. Not all Vetrans (not even a fraction of a percent) are victims... and people on the internet and in the media are making this guy 'the poster child' for victimized vetrans and soldiers. Which considering the size and volume of people the VA deals with, they do a REALLY good job.
History is not repeating it's self here. I know a lot of Vietnam, for my father, and three of my uncles are all Vetrans of this conflict (War to those that were there). My father served 3 tours and all three started out on their first tours as infantry in the Marines. I know many of their friends and they all agree with me, that this guy Joe, though may have done something heroic, did not exit the service honorably.
Because of the dust and sand, Canned Air (ie dust off) is highly available. Not a lot of guys I have seen do this kind of thing, but some do. Which is bad. This guy Joe became addicted to the stuff... because he was a partier.
We are discussing Joe, the drug addict. I guess that all my knowledge of this guy can not change the way people are abusing his 'post child' image to represent Vetrans and People Serving their country.
I have compassion for the family he left behind. I ask you to visit this website:
http://www.militarycity.com/valor/honor.html
And tell me if Joe was 'Like' them. I say 'no'.
He did have a few incidents in his 91 days where he saw soldiers getting hurt and killed. But all the stuff he was having PTSD episodes with, ... well that is just no true. He did not experience such things. He was with a HUGE group of soldiers that pushed into Baghdad and then he went home. After his ONE TIME option where he had his photo op, he was an 'after the fact' medic, not a front liner like people keep saying he was.
[sigh] I wish I could stop all the glorifying and lies about this guy service, but the internet, media, and personal agenda's are too powerful.
On my first tour I was an 11B spc, and I saw quite a lot of 'action', dead guys (both American and Enemy), I saw the hurt also. Now I have 6 years about 2190 days of being ON THE FRONT LINES... on the tip... EVERYDAY I have served over there.
This person did not commit suicide... he Overdosed ... I have friends that have committed suicide from not being able to shake the stress that was left behind from repetative battles and being asked to return for more. Joe was not one of these honorable people.
I could literally write a novel on my experiences there and the people that do and have served.
Here is what WE (and I mean a lot of people I work with) think of chaplains for the MOST part:
As you are a Chaplain, (and maybe a Commissioned Officer ... don't know since your profile says 'VA'), most live and stay in thir cushy little stables when deployed.
Typically the chaplains I have seen down range, are cowards. And they don't mingle with the troops, and they give VERY bad advise when soldiers are suffering and ask for help. I could give a laundry list of names of chaplains that fit this bill.
I have not become calous to peoples emotions. I am calous towards people who have pulled the wool over peoples eyes. And the entire world is holding up this drug addict (both before he served and after) as some kind of idol.
There are some good BRAVE chaplains that put their neck on the line to be with the soldiers when they are fighting. I would say in 2160 days I have known 2 out of about 20 that were brave... but you don't sound like one of them.
These are lengthy posts, and maybe not long enough because details are hard to put out in short essays.
I feel sorrow for Joe's family. Drug addiction is never an easy way to see someone go. I have known many families now that have lost their loved ones, and I have known the terror on my own family's face each time I deploy.
This guy sacrificed 91 days, of not his best years/days. His best years were before he became a drug addict.
You are making this guy a 'Poster Child'/tool for the Anti-War/Government people. You may be one of them.
If he was a model citizen, a soldier that served honorably,went back into the community with purpose of getting a job, being responsible to his family, and if he had problems, would recognize them and get cured so as not to lead the ones that loved him in a life of dread, misery, and grief.
He did the opposite, and used his military service as a cruch to facilitate his addictions. And like all co-dependents do, the family, friends, media, and the internet turn to blame others other than the drug addict himself.
It angers me greatly that people are responding to this 'faker' with sympathy. Go to the website I posted earlier in this post, and put your energies towards one of these REAL hero's and their families.
You can rest peacefull knowing that "I AM, EVERYDAY!"
Joe Dunkle 11B INFANTRY 15 years(US Army, Active Duty, 5 tours to theater, 3 12 mos, and 2 18 mos) I think I am qualified to judge this guy.
Joe Dunkle said...
ReplyDelete"I have been an 11B (Infantry) for 15 years" among other things you've said. It is admirable that you wanted to dedicate your life in to the service of this nation. However, this is all I've done as if my life depended on it for 25 years. While I worked a regular job during that time, there hasn't been one day that I have not been researching PTSD, learning every thing I can and reaching out to other veterans, like my husband, in the process.
First, apologies for the delay in publishing your post. I was in Ohio and did not have time to read the comments and emails until today.
You had a rather lengthy defense of your original comment but apparently you did not read mine or you would have understood that while what you were claiming is true in some cases, you need to know the whole person, their whole life before you can judge any of them. They all react to PTSD differently and they are all cut at different levels. My husband reacted differently than his nephew did. Andy, was also a Vietnam vet but he was addicted to heroin, misdiagnosed PTSD and ended up with a criminal record. After he served his time, years later, he was finally diagnosed correctly and treated. He cleaned up his life, even managed to fall in love again. The problem was that after a series of events, he checked himself into a motel room with enough heroin to kill ten men. He barricaded the door and ended his life. Was Andy a saint? No. But he was a wounded warrior who could have been saved. Was he a sinless man or a man of total honor? No, but he was a good man and loved by his family and friends.
For every PTSD wounded you want to point your finger at, there is a family there, there are people who love that veteran and they know other sides of them that you don't know. While you say you "knew" Dwyer, you need to wonder if you really did or not. You saw him while deployed but I'm sure you also ignored the fact that no one is their "normal" self when they are deployed into the abnormal world of combat. That is not part of "normal" daily lives. You really need to rethink what is motivating you to the point where you seem obsessed with Dwyer and assenting his character, when you did not know him like his family did or his friends. You only knew part of him and that was a man, like you, in a totally different place.
I think SFC Dunkle and a lot of people are/were embarrassed by Dwyer. I know NCO's go out of their way A LOT to try to help their troubled soldiers. And when someone puts so much effort into someone publicily and puts their neck on the line for someone, and that person betrays such acts, it leaves people angry and embarrassed.
ReplyDeleteLet it go SFC Dunkle, just let it go...
Sincerely,
Mike
Hi Mike
ReplyDeleteHow can I put this to help you to understand. There are times when they are beyond help and no matter what we do, we just can't reach them enough, but we do have to try. If for nothing else, just out of human kindness.
It also helps to understand I was told for years to just get rid of my husband and let him go because he was "more trouble than he was worth" but those comments came from people who just couldn't understand what PTSD was and what it was doing inside of him.
Are there some who cannot be saved? Yes. PTSD is not one size fits all and the outcomes are not one size fits all, any more than one treatment for all. It takes many different things to find what works. We just have to keep trying to make sure that if they do end up being wounded beyond hope that we did everything we could for them. My husband, looking at him, living a life again, reminds me of this constantly. I was lucky that I did reach him and get him help before it went too far, but I can tell you that I almost didn't make it.
While I was going above and beyond for his sake and clinging onto hope, he was embarrassing and very hard to live with. It put my family in a very bad position but we did it. Some of the lives we lost, we would have lost no matter how much help they received but we also need to be aware that we lost too many because they were not helped in time. If you understand what PTSD, you know what works and what does not along with everything that comes with it.
The biggest thing I can say right here is, don't judge any of them. None of us can know how deep the wound has cut them.
I served with 3rd Batt 1/75th Ranger Regt. Lighning Task Force. I knew Joe personally and his wonderful family. He and I were at the Nothport, V.A.M.C. and werev roommates. He shared and gave all and then some. Some have heats that are too fragile for what some of us did. Sounds like Joe D. has some judgement issues. Hey Joe D..., Lighten up, you're still alive. Our friend is not. you give Vets a bad name when you dishonor our fallen.
ReplyDeleteI MISS YOU, JOEY!!!!
ReplyDelete