Marine Veteran Firefighter Fighting PTSD With Humor

Military veteran, fire­fighter 'paying it forward'
Travis Howze shares story of PTSD and how comedy helps to heal
KSAT ABC 12 News
June 19, 2015

"[The] hardest thing I've ever done in my life hands down is address Post-Traumatic Stress and have to fight this fight," said Travis.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Travis Howze is sober and smiling. It's something he celebrates every single day. But it took him years to figure out that he had post-traumatic stress, which triggered his drinking and out-of-control behavior.

It's something he knows so many others struggle with as well and he's hoping the lessons he learned from his experience can reassure others that happiness and sobriety is in reach.

"It makes me feel like I can still help people,"
said Travis.

The fire

It was one of the worst firefighter tragedies since 9-11 that led to Travis' spiral downward. A furniture store in Charleston, South Carolina caught fire the evening of June 18, 2007, and an employee was trapped inside. Firefighters rushed in, but there was a collapse.

"They had just done three air horn blasts when they want everyone to evacuate the building and shortly after the building came down," recalled Travis.

Nine firemen were now trapped themselves. Travis volunteered to be part of the team to go in and get them.

"I honestly felt like I would find one of them and be able to bring them out but that was a whole different story once we got inside," Travis explained. "Digging through the steel and the ashes and we located nine of them."

Through the power of laughter and interviews like this one, Travis hopes to help not only veterans who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress, but anyone dealing silently with this potentially deadly disorder.

"You can find a therapist that will talk to you and it can be confidential," he said. "I owe my therapist my life, I really do. I want to educate other people through my experiences so maybe if I can save just one person just through my story, if I can touch one person to where they can turn their life around, and make a positive impact on themselves and someone else, then it's worth me telling my story."
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