JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — As people around Northeast Florida get set to celebrate the Fourth of July, a Jacksonville Navy veteran wants people to be mindful of those struggling with PTSD.
John Tappen said loud noises, like fireworks, still bring back past trauma from his deployment in the Navy. Tappen said he is spending the holiday with his family in Bunnell and he kindly asks people around Northeast Florida to be mindful of those suffering from PTSD when setting off fireworks at their house.
Tappen was a P3 flight engineer. In 2006, he was deployed to the Middle East.
“I lost flying medically. And so that was put onto the ground, and I was security forces. So, you know, bomb threats if there was somebody with a bomb, you had to put on that stuff and run as fast as you can never sign up for any of that kind of stuff," Tappen said.
In 2011 he came home with his trauma.
“There was no amount of drinking, there was no amount of pills, there was no amount of therapy that was working," Tappen said.
The Fourth of July made it worse.
“Explosions, it can bring me back to a bad place," Tappen said.
From 2011 to 2019 nothing worked, until he moved to Florida and was introduced to K9s For Warriors, and Henry.
"He's just a goofball," Tappen said with a smile.
“Henry is me in dog form. And he just, he's my energy."
It's been a perfect match.
“K9s gave me my life back prior to deployment," Tappen added. “Now, if there are fireworks there, and I have Henry, we're going to give it a try."
John said it’s a work in progress and unexpected loud noises can trigger trauma, but he and Henry are working on it.
“I want to be able to go to every place, even if there's fireworks. It's not there yet. But this is what I have Henry for, I'm learning how to do that again.”