Heartbroken Family Hopes To Help Others Battling PTSD

Heartbroken Family Hopes To Help Others Battling PTSD
Monday, November 12, 2012
Cathy Hernandez
Anchor/Multimedia Journalist
KDBC.com

EL PASO — Thousands of military members who go overseas to fight in war come back home with post traumatic stress disorder or PTSD, and the consequences can be tragic. A family who lost their loved one during his battle with PTSD is dedicating their lives to helping other military members and their families.

At a young age, Anthony Patrick Mena knew he was going to defend our country. He graduated from Eastwood High School in 2004 and joined the Air Force, based at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque.

"He loved his job. He was very young. He was only 18. It was the month after he had graduated from high school when he took off to basic training," said Pat Mena.

And not long after, he was ready to deploy to Iraq.

"He was really anxious to deploy,” said Pat Mena. “That was his big dream to serve his country, to go abroad and I begged him, 'Please hold off. Our country is at war right now' and I remember him telling me. We were sitting right here and he said, 'Momma, someone has to defend our country.'”

He returned home six months later. But, Pat Mena said her son was eager to go back. Just a year later, he deployed for a second time on a special mission to train Iraqi police officers.
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