Central Fla. war vet talks about Iraq

Central Fla. war vet talks about Iraq
O'Connor injured in 2005

Published On: Dec 15 2011

ORLANDO, Fla. -
A Central Florida war veteran who served in Iraq in 2005 talked about the end of the war with Local 6.

Christopher O'Connor served as a marine in Fallujah. He said being shot at and seeing mortars explode was part of the job, but it nearly cost him his life.

"A day before my 20th birthday, I was hit by a remote detonated explosive device, blasted me nearly ten feet in the air," he said.

O'Connor suffered a serious head injury and shrapnel wounds. He used a wheelchair for two months.

O'Connor retired as a Purple Heart veteran, but knows he was more fortunate than many of his friends.

"Lance Corporal James, actually my brother, was shot in the head by a sniper while we were in Ramadi and I say PTSD is something you deal with every day," he said.

O'Connor suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, and he is committed to helping other veterans deals with their return from the battlefield.

"The end of the Iraqi war, that means that we're just beginning another war because veterans returning have their own combat issues that they have to deal with," O'Connor said.
read more here
There is also a video to go with this report.

It is great to hear he is doing well and getting a service dog. I interviewed him during the summer.
You can fast forward on this video to about 2:57 to hear O'Connor and two other veterans talk about life after their service. Nothing stops these young men.