Speaker 1: Multiple people in my family clean my father, are veterans.
Speaker 2: Troops that have been to war and now they're back
Speaker 2: and think and be grateful for their service, sacrifice, love
Speaker 2: for their country, just unselfishness, all.
Speaker 3: That they do for us.
Speaker 4: There are some people in this country who take extraordinary
Speaker 4: steps to provide for the freedom and security. We forget
Speaker 4: that those people exist.
Speaker 1: We know them as the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines,
Speaker 1: and Coast Guard. They call themselves soldiers, seals, rangers, airmen, sailors,
Speaker 1: devil dogs, and so much more. We call them fathers, brothers,
Speaker 1: sons and husbands, mothers, daughters, sisters and wives. We call
Speaker 1: them friend and neighbor. These veterans answered the call, Now
Speaker 1: we answer theirs. They are the best our country has
Speaker 1: to offer, and we love them. Today we honor them
Speaker 1: and we start this. David Maulsby is your host, and
Speaker 1: he welcomes you to this community of veterans, as together
Speaker 1: we are building the road to.
Speaker 2: Hope, and indeed we are glad to have you along.
Speaker 2: On a Sunday afternoon, those of you listening onto KPRC
Speaker 2: the nine five oh on the AM dial, thank you
Speaker 2: for joining us as you drive endlessly around the Loop
Speaker 2: or the Beltway or the Grand park Way, whichever one
Speaker 2: you like to spend your Sunday afternoon driving through. Thank
Speaker 2: you for doing so. Those of you listen through the
Speaker 2: Magical podcast, thank you so very much. Wherever you listen
Speaker 2: to podcasts, just look for Road to Hope Radio. There
Speaker 2: we are. We got over eight years of shows, lots
Speaker 2: of stories, lots of insight into what's going on at
Speaker 2: the PTSD Foundation of America, a lot of hope and inspiration,
Speaker 2: a lot of great stories. People that you get to meet,
Speaker 2: our veterans. People say, we love our veterans, we support
Speaker 2: our veterans. We appreciate it when you take a time
Speaker 2: to check out this podcast. And here's some of the stories.
Speaker 2: Here's some of the struggles that they had coming home
Speaker 2: and how they are overcoming them, how they have overcome them.
Speaker 2: You'll hear both of those in the course of this
Speaker 2: show with a couple of vets we have in the
Speaker 2: studio with us today. Big thank you to our show
Speaker 2: sponsors that give us the opportunity to spend a little
Speaker 2: time with you each and every week. Our great friends
Speaker 2: Billy and Connie Stagner at a Corey Diamond and Design,
Speaker 2: Acri Cory Diamond and Design two A one four two
Speaker 2: forty seven fifty five. Look, when you're going to do
Speaker 2: that something special for someone special, man, you want to
Speaker 2: make sure you're doing business with the right people. That's
Speaker 2: a Corey Diamond and Design, oopsteam dot Com. We keep
Speaker 2: them on speed dial around our place. Had them out
Speaker 2: of our house this past week, had the grand dogs
Speaker 2: with us. So afterwards reached out to Jason and I said, hey, man,
Speaker 2: you know anyone that can clean carpets. So they came
Speaker 2: to spend a little time at our house. Oops steam
Speaker 2: dot Com to a one A two two zero five six'.
Speaker 2: One and when it's time to get that little bit
Speaker 2: Of texas for, you that dream home that you're looking,
Speaker 2: for you want the right, Location Republic Grand ranch dot
Speaker 2: com just outside Of houston on the north. Side beautiful
Speaker 2: beautiful place, again great, Community Republic Grand ranch Dot. Com all,
Speaker 2: right we have two of our veterans in the studio
Speaker 2: with us. Today one who's a Graduate Camp, hope a
Speaker 2: staff member doing great work and supporting our veterans coming
Speaker 2: through the. Program we got. Brand do you want to reintroduce? Yourself,
Speaker 2: yeah what's?
Speaker 4: Up.
Speaker 5: Everybody Brandon hartsburg, here A Us army. Vet i've been
Speaker 5: working At camp up about four. Years i graduated in
Speaker 5: twenty twenty And i'm just excited to be here.
Speaker 2: And we're glad to have you. Here brandon does fantastic
Speaker 2: work with our guys and grateful for what he. Does
Speaker 2: and we also have a veteran that's currently in the
Speaker 2: program At Camp. Hope, brian you want to introduce yourself
Speaker 2: to the. World, yeah that's your. Chance make it.
Speaker 3: Good, thanks, pastor thanks for having. Me i'll try not.
Speaker 3: To my Name's Ryan. COLEKOWSKI i served in The United
Speaker 3: States Marine corps from two thousand and two to two
Speaker 3: thousand and. Six came To Camp hope On april tenth
Speaker 3: of this, year twenty twenty.
Speaker 4: Five and, Yeah i'm just been working the. PROGRAM i
Speaker 4: Think i'm on ninety six days.
Speaker 2: Now all, right so still in Red i'm still in red. Phase, okay?
Speaker 2: Gotcha all, right which means nothing people associated today. Anyway
Speaker 2: glad you're.
Speaker 4: Here.
Speaker 2: California what Part.
Speaker 4: Orange, County, California, Placentia.
Speaker 2: California i'm familiar With Orange, county Not. Placentia, yeah, okay
Speaker 2: where is that? From like the.
Speaker 3: Airport it's probably ten to fifteen minutes From John, wayne
Speaker 3: probably twenty minutes from the, beach a couple from the.
Speaker 4: Mountain so it's a nice place to. Live.
Speaker 2: Nice. Yeah did you grow up on the?
Speaker 4: BEACH i did. NOT i was.
Speaker 3: No, ACTUALLY i was born In, virginia lived there for
Speaker 3: a couple of, years moved To North, carolina moved To, Dallas,
Speaker 3: texas and then WHEN i joined The Marine, CORPS i
Speaker 3: was stationed At Camp, pelton.
Speaker 4: Right, yeah so that's HOW i came To.
Speaker 2: California you just stayed, there, yes. Sir so you did
Speaker 2: a lot of moving around as a, YOUNGSTER a lot
Speaker 2: of moving, around, yes all, right family military or.
Speaker 3: No just my dad got drip transfers and found different
Speaker 3: opportunities for, work and we just kind of moved.
Speaker 2: Around where were you in high? School let In? Dallas.
Speaker 3: YEAH i went to A Plano West Senior High school In, Plano,
Speaker 3: texas suburb Of, dallas just north Of.
Speaker 2: Dallas my son and his family lived.
Speaker 4: There got To.
Speaker 2: Texas as quick as you.
Speaker 4: Can, Now i'm back.
Speaker 2: The texamax and the. Barbecue. Yeah, yeah that's a good
Speaker 2: reason to come. Back it.
Speaker 4: Is i've had a chance to have some.
Speaker 2: Good, YEAH i don't, Know i've ever Had. Virginia Does
Speaker 2: virginia even know what barbecue? Is i'm not.
Speaker 4: SURE i don't.
Speaker 2: Know North carolina thinks they, do but it's not.
Speaker 3: BARBECUE i, was, YEAH i was, five and THEN i
Speaker 3: moved To North carolina AND i was, ten and then,
Speaker 3: yeah from ten to like eighteen and lived In, texas and.
Speaker 4: Back THEN i really wasn't into. Barbecue and THEN i.
Speaker 3: Got a nine year Old, yeah, yeah, YEAH i tend
Speaker 3: to seventeen growing up through high school and stuff like,
Speaker 3: that and then but, yeah it's good to be back
Speaker 3: IF i had a. Chance you, Know Camp hope's fit
Speaker 3: us some you, know through some donors and stuff like.
Speaker 4: That some good, barbecue and, yeah it's pretty.
Speaker 2: Good, yes we, have, thankfully some wonderful donors that provide
Speaker 2: some meals for us from, timetime and our chef consistently
Speaker 2: puts out some great food as. Well but it's always
Speaker 2: a little extra special when some of these restaurants come
Speaker 2: out and prepare meals for our. Guys it's a little
Speaker 2: extra special treat for. Everybody so grateful for all those
Speaker 2: who do. That real, Quickly i'm going to give you
Speaker 2: our Combat Trauma line eight seven seven seven one seven
Speaker 2: seventy eight seventy. Three even if you're not A, vet
Speaker 2: you think you'll never need this phone, Number please put
Speaker 2: this number in your. Phone there will be someday you
Speaker 2: come across somebody who needs us and you're gonna wish
Speaker 2: you had the number in your. Phone so please just
Speaker 2: take the phone, Out just take you a. Second put
Speaker 2: this in your. Phone eight seven seven seven one seven
Speaker 2: seventy eight seventy. Three you come across that individual that's
Speaker 2: needing a little bit of, help a little bit of
Speaker 2: guidance as they struggle to reintegrate into the civilian, world
Speaker 2: just hit the phone, number hand it to, Them tell
Speaker 2: them a combat vet's going to answer the. Phone that
Speaker 2: may not mean much to, you but it will mean
Speaker 2: the world to the person that you're handing that phone.
Speaker 2: To eight seven seven seven to one to seven seventy
Speaker 2: eight seventy. Three we're going to take a quick break
Speaker 2: and we'll be right back with more Of road To Hope.
Speaker 2: Radio going to dip in the mail bag here real.
Speaker 2: Quick BRAND i think you'll, UH i think you'll appreciate this.
Speaker 2: One this past, WEEK i saw a post from one
Speaker 2: of our graduates From september of twenty. Three Chris, Tregiser
Speaker 2: you REMEMBER i just read that? Today did you read?
Speaker 2: That funny you bring that? Up? Yeah, YEAH i commented on. It.
Speaker 2: YEAH i went To Camp hope a hardcore alcoholic with
Speaker 2: no understanding about my mental. Health suicidal destroyed health issues
Speaker 2: common story for a lot of. Us i've always been
Speaker 2: a believer In god and some, extent but when he
Speaker 2: actually touched to me while riding a horse during my
Speaker 2: stay At Camp, hope my life was. CHANGED i wasn't
Speaker 2: thinking about anything, NEGATIVE i wasn't. PRAYING i was just
Speaker 2: enjoying the. Scenery and then it, happened The aha Moment
Speaker 2: Camp hope staff talks about, hate, anger. UNFORGIVENESS i was
Speaker 2: holding onto was. Gone like the sun came. OUT i was,
Speaker 2: alive forty years. OLD i received a brand new, life
Speaker 2: ONE i only dreamed of that now just. FLOWS i
Speaker 2: put in hours upon hours of hard work in a
Speaker 2: BUSINESS i co. OWN i put hours upon hours in
Speaker 2: my production company and have a biodocumentary streaming on multiple,
Speaker 2: platforms And i'm currently working on a fiction film on
Speaker 2: facing past, trauma turning back To, god recording music, again
Speaker 2: and living all since graduating the Program september twenty, eight
Speaker 2: twenty twenty, THREE i went from losing absolutely everything to
Speaker 2: having all THAT i need and a family. AGAIN i
Speaker 2: wish success to every single person that is trying to.
Speaker 2: Change how's? That that's not too bad right? There it's.
Speaker 5: FANTASTIC i can't make that. Up i've been following him
Speaker 5: the whole TIME i worked With, chris SO i love seeing.
Speaker 2: That. Man that's what it's all. About that's why we
Speaker 2: do what we.
Speaker 4: Do it's.
Speaker 2: Real it happens all the. Time. Yeah this Past, WEDNESDAY
Speaker 2: i had some gentlemen out there are co owners of
Speaker 2: some businesses here in The houston, area and they were
Speaker 2: when guys ask questions when we're on tours and we're
Speaker 2: showing people what we're doing and they're trying to learn about,
Speaker 2: it when they start asking questions and a lot of
Speaker 2: questions and probing, QUESTIONS i always find that so encouraging
Speaker 2: BECAUSE i know they're tuned. IN i know they're actually.
Speaker 2: Interested they're not just out there to get a. Picture
Speaker 2: they want to learn about what's, happening what's going, on
Speaker 2: what's going on in our veteran, community what's going on
Speaker 2: in Camp. Hope why Does Camp hope? Exist why what
Speaker 2: are you doing that's different from what anybody else is.
Speaker 2: Doing it's just so. Encouraged they spent almost three hours
Speaker 2: on our Campus, wednesday and it was. Great they got
Speaker 2: to hear from a number of our veterans and briefly met.
Speaker 2: You and when you see things like, that when you
Speaker 2: see just you, know people you would otherwise never, meet
Speaker 2: People i'd otherwise never, meet and they come out and
Speaker 2: spend LIKE i, said they spend almost three, hours, uh
Speaker 2: listening and asking, questions and you get a chance to
Speaker 2: just briefly meet him in a. Hallway and we commented
Speaker 2: on this as. Affort we kind of finished the tour
Speaker 2: and sat down in an office and spend some time
Speaker 2: talking through some things like there's no. WEATHER i can't
Speaker 2: imagine another office building in the world which is where
Speaker 2: they met you in one of our training, buildings or
Speaker 2: where your office. IS i can't imagine another building in
Speaker 2: the world where you would walk in and just at
Speaker 2: that moment meet someone and then talk to you and
Speaker 2: tell you openly about the worst moments of their. Life.
Speaker 2: Right it's just it's the Odd when you step back
Speaker 2: and think about, it it's like it's the oddest thing
Speaker 2: in the. World but, YOU i, MEAN i, know staff
Speaker 2: Sometimes oh, no here Comes, david he's got some. Movie
Speaker 2: uh what does that do for?
Speaker 4: You?
Speaker 2: Though, now because you've been around for a, while it's
Speaker 2: not the first time when you see see somebody and
Speaker 2: are called upon impromptu to share a little your.
Speaker 5: Story, SURE i don't even think twice about. IT i
Speaker 5: rarely do. ANYMORE i don't. Know i'm so okay with
Speaker 5: WHO i am AND i don't care what other people
Speaker 5: think that when you came, OUT i, mean that was
Speaker 5: just a natural. CONVERSE i had just came out of
Speaker 5: THE ptsd, class so me And ryan. Connected we shared
Speaker 5: some of the same battle, space we fought in the same.
Speaker 5: Areas so that class teaching that class ON, ptsd and
Speaker 5: THEN i kind of pretty much created that class to show,
Speaker 5: them you, KNOW ptsd is more than just a mental,
Speaker 5: disorder it's. Physical AND i showed them pictures from like
Speaker 5: WHERE i was WHEN i got out and how horrible it,
Speaker 5: got and THEN i showed them like what's going on?
Speaker 5: Today and THEN i don't, KNOW i just just just
Speaker 5: coming out of that, CLASS i guess a nonchalantly just
Speaker 5: told THEM i don't even think twice about. It it
Speaker 5: doesn't bother me. Anymore so but uh, YEAH i didn't
Speaker 5: even think about. It BUT i guess sometimes they're high
Speaker 5: up exec or business. Owners they're pretty influential. Men BUT
Speaker 5: i enjoyed the conversation because they Were you could tell
Speaker 5: they cared and they wanted to. Know maybe that's WHY
Speaker 5: i was so genuine AND i came forth with this.
Speaker 5: STORY i think that's probably what did it.
Speaker 2: Well and it wasn't just. You there were several guys
Speaker 2: THAT i introduced them to long the way you, know
Speaker 2: when you're there on campus for again almost three. Hours
Speaker 2: we met a lot of guys and. Everyone BUT i
Speaker 2: told him, like this is OUR, dna this is what we.
Speaker 2: Do nobody thinks twice about. It so WHEN i looked
Speaker 2: at it that way of you, know there's no place
Speaker 2: else in the world you do anything like, that it
Speaker 2: hit me a little. Odd but then it's, like, YEAH i,
Speaker 2: guess but this is who we. Are then they shared
Speaker 2: their you, know kind of their their values as a,
Speaker 2: company and it was, accountability, family. Greatness and as soon
Speaker 2: as he said, ACCOUNTABILITY i, said, now, look we've talked
Speaker 2: a lot about Camp hope a lot about the, program
Speaker 2: a lot about you, know the reintegration issues and the
Speaker 2: legal issues that come as a result of a lot of.
Speaker 2: That but if you want to Break Camp hope down
Speaker 2: to a, word accountability is probably the. Word that's what
Speaker 2: we do all, day every, day which requires the, openness
Speaker 2: the freeness to. Share but it was just it Was
Speaker 2: it was interesting to me that that was the first
Speaker 2: part of their their value. System, like that's pretty good
Speaker 2: for a company like.
Speaker 5: That sounds like a divine appointment today it.
Speaker 2: Was and you, Know i'm not just going. On i'm
Speaker 2: not really sure what's going to come out of, it
Speaker 2: BUT i know something's going to come out of. It
Speaker 2: so it was pretty. Cool, yeah what did they do
Speaker 2: for lunch?
Speaker 3: Today what do we have for lunch? Today i'm trying to.
Speaker 3: Think sometimes the days blend.
Speaker 2: TOGETHER i saw the, fixings But i'm guessing it's for.
Speaker 2: Dinner the looked like beef strogan off was.
Speaker 4: About you had, rice, shrimp, rice some, shrimp and some.
Speaker 2: Squash nice and it was it was. Good it was,
Speaker 2: delicious sounds good and.
Speaker 3: It wasn't just one of those where you, get you,
Speaker 3: know three or four. Shrimp we got, nine, ten eleven.
Speaker 3: Shrimp you, know they weren't holding anything.
Speaker 2: Back so. Nice, yeah because we don't get seafood very.
Speaker 2: Often that's all the THINGS i mentioned to this. Company
Speaker 2: we don't get seafood very. Often it's be stroging off
Speaker 2: tonight just so, yeah WHICH i. Like, YEAH i could read.
Speaker 5: SHRIMP i would have gave anything to get hot food
Speaker 5: and three shrimp WHEN i was a. Resident he doesn't
Speaker 5: know the. Program, WELL i don't tell them very.
Speaker 2: Well you know when we WHEN i look back to you,
Speaker 2: know we just kind of re furbished The Hunt. House
Speaker 2: WHEN i think back to the days when that was
Speaker 2: all we. Had quite, often all we had was boxes of,
Speaker 2: ramen those cheap packages of ramen noodle that you buy,
Speaker 2: tuna a lot of, tuna but a lot of the
Speaker 2: ramen noodles works had expiration dates that already. PASSED i
Speaker 2: guess somebody decided that the veterans would would love some
Speaker 2: expired dollar packs of From.
Speaker 3: And this was brought up earlier this, week AND i
Speaker 3: know it's true for. Me Is i'm eating a lot
Speaker 3: better At Camp hope than WHAT i was eating BEFORE
Speaker 3: i came To Camp. HOPE i was wasn't eating a
Speaker 3: lot maybe once a day by. Choice wasn't taking care
Speaker 3: of myself AND i would have you, know peanut butter
Speaker 3: and jelly and ramen and stuff like, that OR i
Speaker 3: would just order you, Know Uber eats or Door. Dash
Speaker 3: but Now i'm eating three square meals a, day taking
Speaker 3: care of, myself getting the, nutrition eating vegetables.
Speaker 2: Again so The Camp hope thirty is a real. Thing
Speaker 2: it's a very real. Thing all, right for those of
Speaker 2: you on the kPr, C we're gonna take a quick
Speaker 2: news break and then we were right back with more
Speaker 2: Of road To Hope. Radio all, right we Got Brandon,
Speaker 2: Hartsburg United States army, veteran Got Ryan United States Marine
Speaker 2: corps veterans served In. Iraq you both served in the same,
Speaker 2: AREAS i guess at different times or were you there similar?
Speaker 4: Times, YEAH i just found out this.
Speaker 3: Today SO i was In brandon's class as A ptsd,
Speaker 3: class and he was bringing up one of his deployments
Speaker 3: in two thousand and. Seven he brought up A, Maria,
Speaker 3: iraq AND i served there in two thousand and. Six
Speaker 3: and there's another town just down the road Called. FERRISTOWN
Speaker 3: i was, like is that the same A? Maria and
Speaker 3: is there another town down the street Called. Farristown he's, like, yeah,
Speaker 3: Yeah AND i was, like oh, YEAH i was there
Speaker 3: in two thousand and six AND i didn't even know
Speaker 3: that until day when he was doing HIS ptsd.
Speaker 4: Class so that was pretty.
Speaker 2: Cool it's a small world in, it it, Is, yeah
Speaker 2: especially when you get into.
Speaker 5: That it's nice to have somebody. Relate BECAUSE i tell,
Speaker 5: you or my my, father my, friends my ex, wife you,
Speaker 5: know WHEN i was. Married they don't really get. It
Speaker 5: they're like shock and, all like you, KNOW i tell
Speaker 5: them the stories and then they're just like, uh BUT
Speaker 5: i tell. Him we get all fired. Up we start remembering.
Speaker 5: Routes we're, like oh, yeah we were fighting Al kaida
Speaker 5: and they had h and me and they, were you,
Speaker 5: know burying five hundred pounds of.
Speaker 3: Explosive and he brought up he brought up THE. T
Speaker 3: there's A t intersection in A'm maria right there and
Speaker 3: then one at THE. T one road goes south OR
Speaker 3: i don't know what. DIRECTION i think it's south To
Speaker 3: ferristown and there is. That he was talking about that tea.
Speaker 3: INTERSECTION i knew it. Well we patrolled that, yeah all the.
Speaker 2: Time so why'd you decide on The Marine.
Speaker 4: Corps oh good. Question SO i didn't it chose?
Speaker 3: Me SO i was working AT gnc In, Frisco, texas
Speaker 3: at the mall At Stonebarre mall and The marine res
Speaker 3: recruiter came in and we got to talking and he's,
Speaker 3: like you, know what's your? Plans what do you? KNOW
Speaker 3: i was, like, WELL i just. Graduated i'm gonna go community.
Speaker 3: College he's, like, well you, know The marines will pay
Speaker 3: for your. COLLEGE i was like, okay and then he's,
Speaker 3: like did you play? SPORTS i was, like, YEAH i played.
Speaker 3: Football and he's, like The marines have a football team
Speaker 3: and you can play for The. Marines all you have
Speaker 3: to do, is you, know sign. Up SO i went
Speaker 3: to the recruiting. Office he made me watch the whole
Speaker 3: recruiting video AND i was, like all, right where do
Speaker 3: you sign me? Up so it kind of chose. ME
Speaker 3: i guess, okay, yeah all, right.
Speaker 5: That translates into a LOW gt. Score The marines is
Speaker 5: the only one that would take him from the fifth
Speaker 5: grade reading.
Speaker 2: Level, yes it's getting, good it's getting. Real so all,
Speaker 2: right football player, Plan oh that's the. Thing that's a real.
Speaker 2: Thing got to be pretty decent to make that.
Speaker 3: Team, YEAH i was For Plane West Senior High school and,
Speaker 3: yeah we went my senior, year we went seven and.
Speaker 4: Three we missed the.
Speaker 3: Playoffs the top three teams made it to the. Playoffs,
Speaker 3: ACTUALLY i played with two players that actually ended up
Speaker 3: making it to THE. Nfl, Nice, yeah The Quel vaughan
Speaker 3: and he ended up going To arkansas AND i believe
Speaker 3: he ended up with the leave with the forty nine.
Speaker 3: Ers and Then David, lofton who's actually the son Of James,
Speaker 3: lofton who's A hall Of famer.
Speaker 4: For The Green Bay. Packers.
Speaker 3: NICE i played with them in high school AND i
Speaker 3: Think David lofton ended up with The Miami.
Speaker 2: Dolphins so very. Nice yeah that's. Cool. Yeah, yeah, so
Speaker 2: uh it's it's a very good football when you come To,
Speaker 2: texas when you get into Like, plano it's it's a
Speaker 2: little different. Level.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah they've been having some rough years, late but
Speaker 3: back in uh, yeah early two, Thousands, yeah it was pretty.
Speaker 4: Competitive mm.
Speaker 2: Hmm. Absolutely so you joined The, corps you deploy and
Speaker 2: what you're, again it was.
Speaker 3: Six so my first deployment was in two thousand and, three, okay,
Speaker 3: yeah AND i did three deployments between combat deployments between
Speaker 3: two thousand and three and two thousand and.
Speaker 2: SIX i, mean do you Do brand four? FOUR i, thought,
Speaker 2: well you guys like punching that frequent, Flyer.
Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah yeah. Yeah three three.
Speaker 3: Deployments my second deployment was For Operation Phantom Fury, Fleujah
Speaker 3: Iraq November december two thousand and.
Speaker 4: Four oh we were there together, Too. Yeah we talked
Speaker 4: out leisure back the second.
Speaker 2: Time, yeah, yeah. Yeah It felujah brings up a lot
Speaker 2: of yeah, memories some GUYS i knew that aren't with us. Anymore,
Speaker 2: okay so coming home PTSD's party life at some. Point it.
Speaker 3: Is SO i got out in two thousand and, six
Speaker 3: AND i don't THINK i even knew WHAT ptsd.
Speaker 2: Was almost no one. Did in two thousand and.
Speaker 4: Six, YEAH i, didn't you.
Speaker 3: KNOW i THINK i had a two hour class and
Speaker 3: they gave us some brochures and said if you're having you,
Speaker 3: know if you need help, whatever you, know call the
Speaker 3: number or go to the website or.
Speaker 4: Whatever AND i think everyone just shoved those in the
Speaker 4: drawer didn't think about.
Speaker 3: It BECAUSE i got back from my third deployment In
Speaker 3: august AND i was getting out of the Marine corps In,
Speaker 3: october SO i quickly got back from my third deployment
Speaker 3: and then basically transitioned out of The Marine. Corps AND
Speaker 3: i actually didn't even go to THE va UNTIL i
Speaker 3: believe twenty eleven is WHEN i first went to THE
Speaker 3: va to get help with MY.
Speaker 2: Ptsd know what was going?
Speaker 3: ON i, Was, YEAH i was just self medicating with.
Speaker 4: ALCOHOL i was drinking a.
Speaker 3: LOT i wasn't just wasn't the PERSON i used to,
Speaker 3: be you, know the PERSON i wanted to. Be at
Speaker 3: the urging of some friends and, family they, said, hey
Speaker 3: you know you should go TO va and you, know get,
Speaker 3: help see what they have to offer and stuff like.
Speaker 3: That so that was the first time in twenty eleven
Speaker 3: ACTUALLY i went to THE va to try to get.
Speaker 2: Help what were the symptoms you were dealing with are
Speaker 2: causing you to?
Speaker 3: Drink SO i was dealing WITH i had, insomnia, flashbacks, nightmares.
Speaker 4: You, KNOW i was felt.
Speaker 3: DEPRESSED i had a lot of, anger AND i didn't
Speaker 3: know where that anger was really coming. From you, KNOW
Speaker 3: i was lashing out at family and friends and it
Speaker 3: was just a side of me THAT i didn't even
Speaker 3: know WHO i. Was AND i needed to figure that,
Speaker 3: out and SO i went to THE va to try
Speaker 3: to get help and with WHAT i didn't know at
Speaker 3: the time WAS.
Speaker 2: Ptsd what was their suggestion?
Speaker 3: Prescription, yeah so they prescribed me a bunch of medication at,
Speaker 3: first AND i don't even THINK i can name it,
Speaker 3: all but you, know stuff for some SSRs to help
Speaker 3: with my, depressions some stuff to help with my, nightmares
Speaker 3: with my with my, sleep and stuff like, that WHICH
Speaker 3: i didn't EVEN i didn't really. TAKE i THINK i
Speaker 3: took it for a little, while but not enough for
Speaker 3: it to make an. Effect AND i WAS i was still,
Speaker 3: drinking AND i was missing. APPOINTMENTS i GUESS i just
Speaker 3: wasn't taking it serious AS i should have back in twenty.
Speaker 2: Eleven were those psyche appointments or medical? Appoints?
Speaker 1: Uh?
Speaker 2: Both?
Speaker 4: Yeah?
Speaker 2: Both, okay all, right how long do you do?
Speaker 3: THAT i was in and out of THE va from
Speaker 3: twenty eleven up until this past, year WHEN i KNEW
Speaker 3: i needed to make a change because WHAT i was
Speaker 3: doing wasn't. Working and that's WHEN i Found Camp hope
Speaker 3: and decided that IF i don't do, something you, KNOW
Speaker 3: i need to do something because What i've been doing
Speaker 3: hasn't been, working and that's HOW i found myself making
Speaker 3: decisions on my own to come To Camp.
Speaker 2: Hope so, typically not, always but typically there's something that
Speaker 2: the straw that breaks the camel's. Back was there something that, Like,
Speaker 2: okay this has gone on too, long or something, happens
Speaker 2: or what was it that finally brought you to the
Speaker 2: point WHERE i got to do something. Different we like
Speaker 2: to call that TO D day's YOUR d. Day, Yeah.
Speaker 3: So it wasn't anything with the law or anything like.
Speaker 3: That it WAS i was sick and tired of being
Speaker 3: sick and. Tired my daughter's, seventeen my son's, nine AND
Speaker 3: i was just tired of being sick and. Tired AND
Speaker 3: i KNEW i needed to do something for myself but
Speaker 3: also for my kids and they needed, me AND i
Speaker 3: missed a lot of their lives due TO ptsd in
Speaker 3: my alcohol. Use AND i knew that IF i didn't
Speaker 3: do something, NOW i never. Would AND i HEARD i
Speaker 3: learned About Camp.
Speaker 4: Hope how did you hear about?
Speaker 3: CAMP i heard learned About Camp hope through Uh Nathan.
Speaker 3: GONZALEZ i served with him In. India, YEAH i served
Speaker 3: with him an indie, Company, yeah indie.
Speaker 4: Company Thurb, Time Fifth. Marines we served.
Speaker 3: Together, yeah same company in The Marine, corps and we've
Speaker 3: kept in touch off and on throughout the. Years AND
Speaker 3: i knew he worked At Camp hope or he was
Speaker 3: involved With Camp. Hope AND i, said, hey what does
Speaker 3: someone have to? Do what DO i what does someone
Speaker 3: have to do to come To Camp? Hope and he
Speaker 3: basically was, saying you, know your D d two fourteen
Speaker 3: need need to be a combat veteran and stuff like.
Speaker 3: That we're both, like, yeah you know you're you're, that
Speaker 3: you know you'd qualify and stuff like.
Speaker 4: That so he sent me a. LINK i.
Speaker 3: Applied it was probably took me no longer than five.
Speaker 3: Minutes it was a quick, application talk a little bit
Speaker 3: about your, deployments you know what brands and stuff like,
Speaker 3: that and then you send it in and then, yeah
Speaker 3: someone contacted me a couple of days later From Camp.
Speaker 2: Hope did he tell you how much it? Costs?
Speaker 4: Free he, said it's, free just just get. There and.
Speaker 3: You, know ACTUALLY i, was, YEAH i didn't even have
Speaker 3: to pay for my plane Tickets southwest a free ticket
Speaker 3: On southwest thanks to, uh you, KNOW i guess THE
Speaker 3: Ptsd foundation to.
Speaker 4: Us, yeah SO.
Speaker 3: I flew here From, uh, Yeah california flew me in
Speaker 3: The Houston nate picked me.
Speaker 2: Up how awesome is? That?
Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah so it. Was it was chauffeur, service door
Speaker 4: to door so.
Speaker 2: Here, yeah that's. Fantastic. Awesome your family supportive of what's going.
Speaker 3: On they've been very. Supportive, so my mom and my
Speaker 3: sister currently live In. Dallas my brother lives In Oklahoma.
Speaker 3: City there you, Go i've been. Here, yeah shake you
Speaker 3: ahead of. Me So i've been At So i've been
Speaker 3: At Camp hope about ninety six, DAYS i, believe plus or.
Speaker 3: Minus and they've probably come to visit me five or six.
Speaker 3: Times and that's From dallas And Oklahoma. City my brother's,
Speaker 3: flown my sister and my mom have.
Speaker 4: Driven that's.
Speaker 2: Awesome we got to take one more quick break and
Speaker 2: we'll get right back to it when we get back
Speaker 2: with more Of road To hope. Radio you know, what,
Speaker 2: FRIEND i think one of the things THAT i really
Speaker 2: love is not in the. Plan it's just what happens
Speaker 2: At Camp. Hope. Uh like you, mentioned you Called nathan
Speaker 2: because you serve with him and he picks you up
Speaker 2: when you come into. Town you get here and you're
Speaker 2: here for ninety six. Days and finally figure out you
Speaker 2: guys were in the same. PLACE i loved hearing these
Speaker 2: guys seven, eight, nine ten years later and guys they
Speaker 2: met in the, program which again people that had another otherwise. Met,
Speaker 2: necessarily you two would have never met if it weren't
Speaker 2: For Camp. Hope but seven, eight, nine ten years from,
Speaker 2: now you guys will still be. Friends. POSSIBLY i love those.
Speaker 2: STORIES i love seeing that all the, time, guys some
Speaker 2: of our staff go out and do the bike riding,
Speaker 2: thing like these guys would have never met each other
Speaker 2: and probably didn't wouldn't have liked each, other at least
Speaker 2: not in the condition that they were in at the,
Speaker 2: time but they came To Camp hope but friends years.
Speaker 4: Later.
Speaker 2: That, uh that brings me a lot of. Joy All,
Speaker 2: right so you Decide Camp hope's the place for. You,
Speaker 2: Yeah i'm sure it helped that you Knew. Nathan it.
Speaker 3: Did, yeah it helped a. Lot knowing That nathan worked
Speaker 3: for the for the foundation. Helped it kind of reassured,
Speaker 3: me you know that you, Know and THEN i know
Speaker 3: That nathan went through the program graduated as, well and
Speaker 3: we talked about the program and he said it really
Speaker 3: helped him a.
Speaker 4: Lot it didn't cure him from.
Speaker 3: HIS, ptsd but gave him tools to, live tools to
Speaker 3: live a different way of, living, basically that's how he said.
Speaker 3: It so it kind of gave me the final nudge
Speaker 3: to go ahead and make the decision to you, know,
Speaker 3: basically to Leave california and come To houston to be
Speaker 3: At Camp.
Speaker 2: Hope that's a big, step especially when you know the
Speaker 2: program's designed to be rather. Lengthy, yes six to nine.
Speaker 2: Months so there's so if, you if you just think about,
Speaker 2: it those of your listening, like this is a whole
Speaker 2: new world to. You combat. That so you got combat related,
Speaker 2: trauma probably several other traumas in your life the time
Speaker 2: you get to. Camp so you got this mental health
Speaker 2: thing going ON. Ptsd so anxiety almost one hundred percent
Speaker 2: of the, time the anxieties through the, roof and now
Speaker 2: you're gonna up and go to some you've never, been
Speaker 2: be around a bunch of people you've never, met and do.
Speaker 2: What SO i JUST i try to put myself in that,
Speaker 2: mindset like how anxious must a person be when they
Speaker 2: are about to step onto this campus that they're going
Speaker 2: to spend the next however many months of their. Life
Speaker 2: what's it going to be like it had to help
Speaker 2: obviously you With, nathan but if you don't know, anybody
Speaker 2: and even if you, DO i, mean the anxiety is
Speaker 2: still got to be pretty. Roal.
Speaker 3: Yeah so for, ME i got out in two thousand and,
Speaker 3: Six SO i spent nineteen years and life just wasn't
Speaker 3: working for.
Speaker 4: ME i tried different.
Speaker 3: THINGS i attended church for a, while got sober for a,
Speaker 3: while fell back into drinking and stuff like, that and
Speaker 3: WHAT i was doing just wasn't. Working SO i figured
Speaker 3: six to nine months IF i could come To Camp,
Speaker 3: hope get, sober and you, know get closer To. God
Speaker 3: that was an important. Thing WHEN i found out it
Speaker 3: was a faith based. Foundation that was a big thing
Speaker 3: for me BECAUSE i wanted to get closer To. God those, things,
Speaker 3: yeah made it easier because IF i kept on the
Speaker 3: PATH i was, going you, know it wasn't gonna nothing
Speaker 3: was gonna cure. ITSELF i needed to get out of
Speaker 3: my you, know WHERE i was, living go to a
Speaker 3: new place six to nine, months all.
Speaker 4: Right.
Speaker 3: ALMOST i felt LIKE i looked at it as like a.
Speaker 3: Deployment all, right HERE i, Am i'm gonna go To.
Speaker 3: Houston i'm gonna do this. Thing i'm gonna get, Sober
Speaker 3: i'm gonna get closer To, god get new tools for
Speaker 3: my tool, belt learn a new way of.
Speaker 4: Living AND i wasn't.
Speaker 3: ANXIOUS i Knew, nate BUT i wasn't anxious BECAUSE i
Speaker 3: KNEW i was gonna be with my. BROTHERS i KNEW
Speaker 3: i was gonna be with guys that are combat veterans that.
Speaker 3: Served you know something we, have you, know different, generations
Speaker 3: but we all have that same thing common that we
Speaker 3: signed up to serve our, country went to, combat you,
Speaker 3: know and came. Back and whether IT'S ptsd or substance,
Speaker 3: abuse we all have that one thing in, common was
Speaker 3: serving our country in. Combat so that that reassured me
Speaker 3: a little.
Speaker 2: Bit shared. Experience, yes it's it's it's.
Speaker 5: POWERFUL i would have rather went back To iraq than
Speaker 5: to come To Camp. Hope it was awful the first
Speaker 5: TIME i came in the second, time it was so
Speaker 5: so much fear and anxiety BECAUSE i had so much
Speaker 5: a lot of our, guys including, myself have so much toxic.
Speaker 5: Shame because there were really good, men had good. Professions
Speaker 5: we've served our country most most of these, men all
Speaker 5: of them are really good. Men but when you start
Speaker 5: to do things to cope and you go, downhill you're
Speaker 5: so shameful and you're so, isolated you don't want to
Speaker 5: look people in the. Eyes and that's how that's how
Speaker 5: most of us show, up including. Myself it was it
Speaker 5: was not. COOL i almost left almost every day for
Speaker 5: the first couple of, weeks and, guys guys will do,
Speaker 5: that like just stay one more, hour just stay one more,
Speaker 5: day and we're, like if we and get one more
Speaker 5: day out of, them because it's not easy in the.
Speaker 2: Beginning it's interesting because on that tour THAT i, mentioned
Speaker 2: the three hour, tour one of the staff members THAT
Speaker 2: i introduced them to made the comment coming To Camp
Speaker 2: hope was the scariest Thing i've ever. Done and then
Speaker 2: he made it very clear it was scarier than boot.
Speaker 2: Camp it was scarier than going to war coming To Camp.
Speaker 2: Hope and you know that got everybody's, attention all right
Speaker 2: when you hear, that like, oh and then he went
Speaker 2: on to say. Why he, Said the reason WAS i
Speaker 2: knew WHEN i, WENT i had to own WHAT i had,
Speaker 2: done WHAT i had failed to, do AND i had
Speaker 2: to look deep into my. SOUL i knew what was
Speaker 2: coming and that's what scared.
Speaker 5: Me that's the accountability. Piece, yes you spent a couple
Speaker 5: of weeks on our, campus you're going to, Realize oh my,
Speaker 5: gosh these dudes are the real deal and they've healed from.
Speaker 5: This they're doing it and if in the way it's set.
Speaker 5: UP i don't want to give away the secret, sauce
Speaker 5: but that's that's how it's set. Up man to face
Speaker 5: this stuff and to grow into heal from OUR. Ptsd
Speaker 5: and it's it's hard because you're facing. Yourself that's what
Speaker 5: we're fighting when we show. UP i was fighting, myself,
Speaker 5: now you, guys not the, staff not the, counselor's not
Speaker 5: my you, know, unit or my ex. Wife it was
Speaker 5: Facing brandon and that that was. TERRIFYING M and all
Speaker 5: the stuff we pushed down from combat exact because that's
Speaker 5: part of the coping, skill you, know disassociate from it
Speaker 5: BECAUSE i gotta. FIGHT i got to move on to
Speaker 5: the next. FIGHT i can't deal with.
Speaker 3: This, yeah there's there's certain THINGS i haven't thought about
Speaker 3: or talked about SINCE i was in The Marine, corps
Speaker 3: AND i just pushed those things, down didn't want to
Speaker 3: talk about, them try not to think about them and
Speaker 3: those some of those are some of the Things i'm
Speaker 3: working through now At Camp.
Speaker 4: Hope so.
Speaker 2: Our time here is all, unfortunate almost. Done this is
Speaker 2: always just the fastest hour of my, week every Single
Speaker 2: how in the world have we already? Done because they
Speaker 2: always just want to hear so much? More but ninety
Speaker 2: six days, in so you've still got a long way to. Go,
Speaker 2: yes what's changing in your? Mindset when you wake up
Speaker 2: in the, morning you compare to how you felt this
Speaker 2: morning when you woke up versus six months ago when
Speaker 2: you woke.
Speaker 4: UP i, MEAN i feel.
Speaker 3: Great first of, All i'm, Sober i'm not. Hungover that, Helps,
Speaker 3: yeah that helps a. Lot the clarity of thought doing morning. Devotionals,
Speaker 3: hey that leaves.
Speaker 2: ME i had to cut you off because, sure but real,
Speaker 2: quick you mentioned you you came here wanting to work
Speaker 2: on your relationship With.
Speaker 4: God, yes that was a big.
Speaker 2: Thing so for, me real, quick how has that developed for?
Speaker 2: You and how has it affected? You that you know
Speaker 2: there's others that have no interest in, It so how's
Speaker 2: that worked for you while you've been?
Speaker 3: HERE i, MEAN i know myself And i've had a
Speaker 3: relationship with The. LORD i gave my life To christ
Speaker 3: WHEN i was in high. School, UNFORTUNATELY i fell. Away
Speaker 3: AND i know WHEN i got sober for a brief
Speaker 3: time AND i try to get my life kind of
Speaker 3: to try to get my life back on. TRACK i
Speaker 3: was going to, CHURCH i was reading My. Bible my
Speaker 3: relationship With jesus was, close AND i wanted to get
Speaker 3: back to that AND i just wasn't able to do.
Speaker 3: IT i, was to be, HONEST i wasn't able to
Speaker 3: get sober on my own enough to go back to,
Speaker 3: church read My, bible and going To Camp hope made
Speaker 3: that easier for. Me and it structured like they, said
Speaker 3: it's accountability AND i don't have any.
Speaker 4: DISTRACTIONS i don't.
Speaker 2: Have you're making some progress.
Speaker 3: There i'm making. Progress i'm closer to The. LORD i
Speaker 3: have a relationship with The lord.
Speaker 4: Now it's. Awesome that's WHERE i want.
Speaker 2: To be big thank you to everybody. Listening you listen
Speaker 2: to the podcast wherever you listen to Podcasts road To,
Speaker 2: hope if you hit that subscribe, button we truly do appreciate.
Speaker 2: It also really appreciate. It if you share. It you
Speaker 2: never know who may come across. It maybe it's the
Speaker 2: first time they've heard about. It maybe it's the tenth,
Speaker 2: time but it's the time that got their. Attention please share.
Speaker 2: It you never know who might need what we have to.
Speaker 2: OFFER Ptsd foundation Of america ptsdusa dot. Org road To
Speaker 2: Hope radio wherever you listen to. Podcasts, thanks look forward
Speaker 2: to being with you again next week for More road
Speaker 2: To Hope radio