Veterans thankful as St. Paul police crack down on illegal fireworks
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The sights and sounds of fireworks are a thrill for many. But for the men and women who served in combat, those explosive thrills can trigger events from their past, that can impact their present.
"The ones that crackle are the worse that brings me back to sitting there playing rummy and you start taking small arms fire," said Eric Geesaman.
Geesaman is a retired marine who served two tours in Afghanistan.
"The big booms like, they make me jump. You know, that's a heightened startled response. It's the ones that crackle that really bring me back," Geesaman said. "I've come a long way in my mental health journey but they still catch me off guard."
St. Paul Police say officers respond to calls about illegal fireworks - many of those calls come from veterans' families.
"We need to think of the sacrifice our veterans have made for our country and treat them accordingly," said Sgt. Mike Ernster. "If fireworks cause an emotional or psychological effect on them we need to realize that and not use it around them."
Sgt. Ernster says not using fireworks in the city isn't just being a good neighbor, it's also the law.
"Anything that would explode or shoot into the sky and explode, it's all illegal," Ernster said. "This place is a safe place for vets."
Every Third Saturday is an organization that many veterans turn to for help. More are coming in during this time of year looking for relief.
"When veterans come in, I try and engage with them and figure out what they might be looking for," Geesaman said.
Gessaman is a veteran advocate at ETS and sees more of his generation of veterans dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD.
He hopes the community steps up and thinks about the harm their fun can cause for those who served.
