Veterans’ firearm injuries

Jim

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Jim was first exposed to firearms in his early years when he would accompany his father to hunt deer with a high-caliber rifle. During his initial Army training, "...eight of the nine weeks, you’d be on the rifle range learning how to shoot, aim, and clean the weapon.” As a result, he “... felt quite comfortable with the weapons.” After his time in the Army, Jim carried a firearm for protection while living in a rest home and struggled with the transition to civilian life. He experienced extensive injuries due to an intentionally self-inflicted gunshot wound and reflected that “I could have lost my life. It was a mistake." After his injury, Jim no longer wanted to own firearms. “I sold all my weapons. I had a shotgun and a deer hunting rifle and a .45-caliber pistol. I sold them all. Don’t want to be around them.” 

Jim recognizes that his time in the Army shaped his perspective on firearms. “...When you’re released to go home, you can’t undo anything. Based on your experience, you take that with you. And if you don’t get the right help or if you don’t get any help at all, it’ll show up in somebody’s book.” He believes that the military should offer support for Veterans who are returning home after duty. “Force the military to set aside days, not hours or minutes, about the danger of firearms. Teach some people how to ask for help...Help is there for you, you just have to ask for it.”

For those who have been injured by a firearm, Jim suggests connecting with other Veterans and Veteran organizations, as well as neighbors. Jim believes that clinicians could support Veterans by finding "...ways and means to not talk down to a Veteran but let them know that people care and there are programs that are available by the VA as well as the NRA.” Those who want to support Veterans can do so by "...taking the extra step to say, hey, how are you doing? What’s new with you? Little things like that really help.”

 

 

Jim recalls how carrying “the burden” of a traumatic experience in the military led to feelings of guilt and shame.

Jim recalls how carrying “the burden” of a traumatic experience in the military led to feelings of guilt and shame.

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I had a bad experience when I was in the Army, with losing soldiers. I was responsible for one incident. I didn’t want to, but I pressed the trigger, and several U.S. soldiers were wounded. And I was responsible for some of their deaths. And I carry that burden around with me. It’s in the back of my head all the time—not all the time, but it’s still there. And that’s part of the reason I don’t like weapons anymore, because I used them and had an accident with them on my person. That was when I got…that was after I got out of the military. I was having a bad day. I had the weapon. And I can remember saying to myself almost out loud—because I knew what I was going to do. I was going to shoot myself. I got tired of those nightmares and wake up, you’re sweating, and sometimes you don’t remember. So, I violated the rules of the rest home that I was staying at, at the time, and they asked me to leave and don’t come back. I said, “Whatever you want. I can’t fight you.” 

So that’s…I can remember walking down to my car the day of the injury, and I said, do you really think you have enough nerve to pull the trigger? Because I was still doubting myself for other reasons. And sure enough, I could pull the trigger, but it cost me a couple teeth. I had the weapon in my mouth. Took out two teeth, and it exited midway down your neck between your earlobe and your…I would say three, about three or four inches down from the earlobe. And the bullet had exited, and I was injured at the time. Rapidly, they called an ambulance, and I went over to the Veterans hospital. And they took…I thought they took excellent care. But what I didn’t know and didn’t realize was how many people really liked Jim, and I didn’t see it and didn’t notice it until I did a silly, stupid thing in injuring myself. I’ll never do it again. At least that’s what I’m saying. I will never do it again.

It’s hard to reach some people. They…some people don’t even want to talk about it. I was probably one of those people that didn’t want to talk about it, but it doesn’t do it any good. It’s not going to go away. You have to address it and work your way through it, with or without external help. 

 

After a self-inflicted firearm injury, Jim received physical therapy through the National Guard as part of his recovery.

After a self-inflicted firearm injury, Jim received physical therapy through the National Guard as part of his recovery.

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I can remember walking down to my car the day of the injury, and I said, do you really think you have enough nerve to pull the trigger? Because I was still doubting myself for other reasons. And sure enough, I could pull the trigger, but it cost me a couple teeth. I had the weapon in my mouth. Took out two teeth, and it exited midway down your neck between your earlobe and your…I would say three, about three or four inches down from the earlobe. And the bullet had exited, and I was injured at the time. Rapidly, they called an ambulance, and I went over to the Veterans hospital. And they took…I thought they took excellent care. But what I didn’t know and didn’t realize was how many people really liked Jim, and I didn’t see it and didn’t notice it until I did a silly, stupid thing in injuring myself. I’ll never do it again. At least that’s what I’m saying. I will never do it again. It was more physical than it was mental, in my case. The two teeth that I lost? I could have lost my life.  

 

Jim feels that there are “too many weapons in this country.” and after being in the military, he “doesn’t want to be around them.”

Jim feels that there are “too many weapons in this country.” and after being in the military, he “doesn’t want to be around them.”

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My father, in my earlier years, would take me hunting with him. Deer hunting with a high-caliber rifle. When I got back from Vietnam, I got tired of the killing, and I didn’t like killing animals in particular, and so I have not been hunting since. I liked the look and the feel and the smell of a weapon. This is before I went to Vietnam. But with my Vietnam experience, it pointed me in a different direction. I have a lot of experience. By that I mean I spent two years in Vietnam. I was a helicopter pilot, and I saw a lot of action, should I say? Some good, some bad. I can honestly say the high points in my life and the low point in my life all revolved around living. Living through an experience or losing a Veteran or another pilot, for example. 

I learned how to fire the .45 pistol while I was in the army. And when I got out and I chose not to do those things that hunters do, killing animals, primarily. I had a strong dislike of weapons that are used in war, and people pick them up…like just today, I think ten people were shot in the New York subway. Did you hear about that? That’s crazy. When will it end? 

Probably thinking that weapon will help save you from something bad that might happen. You know, you see these different reports like, you know, there’s too many weapons in this country. They got more weapons than they got people. There has to be some way to separate weapons from former soldiers or seamen or Air Force types. Get them out of their hands. I sold all my weapons. I had a shotgun and a deer hunting rifle and a .45-caliber pistol. I sold them all. Don’t want to be around them.  

 

Jim reflects on the scope of his firearm training in the military.

Jim reflects on the scope of his firearm training in the military.

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Well, in the military, it would start out at your basic training installation. Then in that initial training, we would be at the rifle range several days in a week’s time. Actually, the combat course was over nine weeks, and I would say eight of the nine weeks, you’d be on the rifle range learning how to shoot, aim, and clean the weapon. So, most of my initial experience was in the military and/or with my father hunting with a high-powered rifle.  

So, I did have some experience before I joined the military. And there’s a part that I left out, probably the biggest part. I learned how to fire weapon systems in the military—rocket launchers, machine guns, grenade launchers, those kinds of things—in the military.  

I graduated from Basic in June of 1964. I was awarded Army sharpshooter weapon with a rifle, iron sights. And when I went to further my training, I learned how to fire the .45-caliber pistol. That’s what was issued to the officer corps. So, I was trained to use personal hand weapons in that…M14, M16, caliber .45. 

 

Jim says that firearm owners should keep their weapons locked up.

Jim says that firearm owners should keep their weapons locked up.

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There should be…they…the weapons should be secure, should be locked up if you’re a firearm owner. If they get in the hands of the wrong people, then what do you do? Duck? 

 

Jim talks about how post-deployment training could help prevent firearm injuries.

Jim talks about how post-deployment training could help prevent firearm injuries.

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I think everybody that has been in the military needs to be sat down and explained the facts of life. We were trained to do a job, and we did it. Now it’s time to go home. And guns kill. They need to know that.

Force the military to set aside days, not hours or minutes, about the danger of firearms. Teach some people how to ask for help. That was one of my problems. I would never ask for help till later in life. Help is there for you, they just have to…you have to ask for

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