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Randall Jeppesen reportingRiding on horseback, cycling, and water skiing, this is a camp for veterans like Zachery Dunn and Ray Baxter who are fighting to overcome the fear of everyday life.
"I'd be so depressed, I wouldn't even want to go anywhere," said Dunn.
"Just get myself squared away again," said Baxter.
"I want to overcome the depression, the anger, the anxiety," said Dunn.
This Wounded Warriors Project camp and other programs around the country are part of an increased effort to help troops coming home with post-traumatic stress disorder (P.T.S.D.)
"[In] a lot of cases, folks have nightmares, sleep problems. It's a consequence of war, and they want to lead a normal life," said veterans' counselor Michael Ogle. He said what appears to be working at this camp is the support from others suffering the same problems.
"You know I'm 58 years old. These guys are in their 20s. They can look at me and say, ‘If this old fart can do it, I can do it,'" said Ken Benckwitz, who came to the camp from a Phoenix veterans center as a counselor. He said, "Fireworks, I don't like fireworks. They make me nervous. I don't like being in crowds."
Even a trip to the store can cause tension. "My wife and I go shopping at Wal-Mart, or wherever, when it's late at night and the stores are empty," said Benckwitz.
But for the young vets, this camp is life changing. "For the last three years, I've been afraid to come out and talk about anything," said Dunn.
They also discuss their feelings on the war and their role in it.
"We believe we are doing what is right, and we should be there, and we need to finish what we started," said Baxter.
"It was definitely worth it to me. A lot of people probably won't agree with me," said Dunn.
With one-third of U.S. troops returning from war experiencing symptoms related to P.T.S.D., there's a large need for treatment.
In a study, the Pentagon found only one-fifth of those suffering get help. But as this group works to straighten out their lives, Benckwitz makes a plea for the rest of us.
He says, "Even if you disagree with the war and what's going on over there don't take it out on the warrior. These guys deserve to be treated like heroes."
After getting a better handle over their P.T.S.D., Baxter wants to be redeployed and finish his military career, and Dunn hopes to head back to school.
E-mail: rjeppesen@ksl.com
