Memory-of.com - Memorial website in memory of Joshua Omvig (1983-2005)
THE WAR AGAINST PTSD STARTS NOW!
(Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
This website was created in the memory of our beloved Hero, SPC Joshua Omvig of the 339th MP Company, who was born in Wyoming on November 18, 1983 to proud parents, Randy and Ellen Omvig, and left a hole in his families hearts when he passed on December 22, 2005 at the age of 22 at his home in Iowa.
We will forever love and remember him.
We will NOT REST until NO LIFE IS EVER LOST TO THIS DEMON DISORDER... IT IS TREATABLE! IT IS PREVENTABLE!
We were BLESSED to be informed that THIS SITE SAVED A LIFE in it's FIRST MONTH!
YOU can SAVE A HUMAN LIFE... yes YOU!!! It's as easy as sharing this site with EVERYONE you know, and asking them to do the same... NOW!
...Read on....
Josh, rest now, go to the light.. we will continue to carry your torch....We LOVE YOU...
Love,Your Family
For PTSD INFORMATION, RESOURCES, AND SUPPORT CLICKS on the LINK BELOW:
http://www.posttraumaticstressdisordermilitary.com
http://groups.msn.com/PostTraumaticStressDisorderMilitaryINFO
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#### Josh's Story ####
>>THE SHOT HEARD AROUND THE WORLD<<
Josh was a Proud American, an American Hero and a member of the United States Army Reserve 339th MP Company based in Davenport, Iowa. He recently returned from an 11 month tour of duty in Iraq, fighting for his country and it's people in "Operation Iraqi Freedom." Josh was a PROUD member of the Grundy Center American Lutheran Church, the Grundy Center Volunteer Fire Department, and the Grundy Center Police Reserves.
Josh insisted on graduating early from high school after joining the reserves at just 17 years of age. He was so excited about his future, he wanted to get into basic training as fast as he could....He had wanted, his whole life to be a police officer, and to serve and protect his country, and the citizens of his country, America. The Army Reserves was his ticket to achieving that dream.
......then came 911, The War Against Terror, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Iraq.
While serving is duty in Iraq for an 11 month "tour" the conditions where unimaginable, and worse yet were the UNSPEAKABLE "jobs" and "duties" they had to do.
Josh was a proud American, loved his country, and was proud to defend her and the freedoms of it's people. He knew why he had to do the things he and others did, he was just never able to recover from having seen and done them.
He came home a year ago with PTSD (POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER) and was never the same.
Josh's "DEBRIEFING" consisted of 15 minutes of "Welcome Home, Got any Problems? No? Great, See Ya"
THIS IS COMMON AMONG OUR RETURNING NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE UNITS!
THIS IS NOT EVEN THEIR PROTOCOL (rules) FOR DEBRIEFING! IT'S KILLING OUR KIDS WHAT THEY ARE DOING (OR NOT DOING)
We knew Josh was having a hard time, but not in ANY way to the extent it REALLY was. We surely didn't know it had a name, or that it was an epidemic with our American Heroes in and returning from Iraq.
We knew there was such a thing as PTSD, but it just never "clicked" that THIS was what was happening to our Josh!..Josh was the clown, the one with the smile, the one who made others feel better. He hid the magnitude this disorder had on him very well.
On Thurs. Dec. 22, 2005, just six weeks ago, our Josh took his life after leaving a note explaining his torment.
Through the course of Josh's viewing and funeral (attended by an overflow crowd of over 500), his family was made aware there were others suffering the same disorder, in silence, like Josh had.
While sitting in the Emergency Room for ONE HOUR with their dead son's body, being asked and explained about ORGAN DONATION, the nurse got off the phone with University Hospital in Iowa City and told Josh's parents that despite Josh's request to have his organs donated that "OH, I'M SORRY, WE FORGOT THAT HE CAN'T DONATE BECAUSE HE WAS IN THE MID EAST. HE HAS A VIRUS." When asked "WHAT Virus", they were 'put off' an never responded to. When BEGGED by Josh's parents to TEST him to SEE if he had a VIRUS "just in case he COULD DONATE".. They just said "WE WON'T CHECK ANY BODY, EVERYBODY FROM THE MID EAST HAS GOT IT"...it's a blanket policy!!
*note* We are still trying to get SOMEONE to tell us WHAT THIS VIRUS IS! And have since found out that RADIATION (DEPLETED URANIUM) is also a "EVERYBODY from the Mid East HAS IT!"
WARNING THE SITE BELOW IS GRAPHIC WITH HORRENDOUS PHOTOS OF CHILDREN BORN WITH THE BIRTH DEFECTS CAUSED BY DEPLETED URANIUM EXPOSURE IN IRAQ...DO NOT LET CHILDREN OR ANYONE UNDER 18 VIEW IT!!!!
(but it's necessary to accompany the written statements on this site with FACTS):
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=BUL20060122&articleId=1777
What will this do to those who survive? What about them having children? What about? What about? WE WANT ANSWERS AND THEY WON'T TALK TO US!~!!!
Since then, his family and I (Josh's Aunt Julie) have been doing TONS of research on PTSD and how our Military Heroes are having to deal with it as well as the problems they are facing with getting PROPER treatment. We have been searching the internet to find other Vets out there struggling, other families and loved ones devastated by PTSD... on message boards, email groups, military news groups, newspaper articles, tv news reports, etc....
there are THOUSANDS!!!
Josh never sought out help. We've also since learned it's very hard for our soldiers to talk about it.. period, let alone seek help! They are AFRAID TO!
STUDY:
Less Than Half of Soldiers With Mental Health Problems Seek Treatment
"For all returning soldiers, there were strong correlations between being shot at, handling dead bodies, knowing someone who was killed, or killing the enemy and the subsequent development of PTSD. And yet of those who met the criteria for a mental disorder, only 38% to 45% expressed an interest in receiving help, and only 23% to 40% reported receiving help in the past year. The participants who screened positive for a mental disorder were the least likely to seek treatment because of a fear of stigmatization, harming their careers, or other barriers."
Adobe Reader Required to View This Study:
http://www.iraqwarveterans.org/readjustment_deployment.htm
>>>This needs to change<<<
"Another Army study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine , found that 17 percent of U.S. combat troops, including Army and Marines, experienced major depression and combat stress, the highest rate since Vietnam."
"Just one-fourth to less than half of those with post-traumatic stress disorder sought help, according to the Army study. And some 65 percent of those questioned said they worry that if they asked for help, it would make them look weak or affect their military careers."
(From the Dallas News December 3, 2005)
The government won't give them REAL help unless they are completely incapacitated (unable to work/function)...this is not the case in almost all I've met/seen. They are nearly all functioning...but in HELL.
PLEASE VISIT THE WEBSITE AND LEARN MORE
Memory-of.com - Memorial website in memory of Joshua Omvig (1983-2005)
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