July 4th Ended Veteran's PTSD Battle and His Life

Army vet takes his life after July 4th fireworks trigger PTSD 
WVLT-TV
By: Winnie Wright

Jul 09, 2015 VALDOSTA, Ga. (WCTV) - On July 4th, Jon Kreft says he and his brother Mike were in a bar playing pool, when Mike, an Army Combat veteran, began hearing fireworks.

"I was walking behind him, and every time a firework would go off, he was covering his ears and he would jump and flinch," says Jon.

"Then he just started crying and started running down the road." He followed Mike home. He knew his brother's PTSD had been triggered by the fireworks.

He was going to play music to soothe him. "He went to the bedroom, and right when I was about to get the play button going, I look up, and he looks at me and says I love you."

The 27 year-old shot and killed himself. Jon says Mike asked friends and family not to light fireworks on the 4th of July holiday, knowing it was one of his PTSD triggers. However, the message wasn't relayed to his unsuspecting neighbors. 
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