PUYALLUP, Wash. - There is new hope for local veterans who continue to battle their demons at home - long after their tours of duty have ended.
Joe Qualls says he wanted to "save the world" when he enlisted in the Army and headed to Iraq, but after just a month in combat, Qualls knew something inside him had changed.
"You realize something is wrong with you, but you're with your buddies so you're all the same," said Qualls, of Puyallup.
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When the 28-year-old soldier returned home after two tours of duty and watching a handfull of friends die, he started to fall apart - drinking, and getting arrested. Even the cries of his newborn son brought him back to the savagery of war, reminding him of the cries of dying children in the streets of Mosul after a car bombing.
Joe considered suicide. He said if he didn't have a bottle in his mouth, he had the barrell of a gun.
"You just go crazy," he said. "Nobody understands you. You feel all alone."
There are similar stories being told in homes all across America. And with more and more vets returning home from war in need of support, it's increasingly up to their neighbors to provide it.
A new grassroots organization called Vets Meet Vets is working to connect returning veterans with the help they need, whether it's work, education or emotional support to get them through the dark times. The group is training seasoned veterans as coaches, pairing them with those newly returned to help make the transition back to life at home as normal as possible.
"This is about building a community," said organizer Rod Wittmier. "There is no way the VA can effectively reach into every town in America to help these heroes. Their community has to help. Suicide affects generations and we need to let our soldiers know that are there for them."
Wittmier is calling on veterans everywhere to get involved. His organization is holding an event this Saturday in the Pierce County town of Pacific at the city park. It runs from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wives and children are invited. Wittmier hopes to train volunteers and pair veterans in need of help with those who need it.
Among those training as a coach will be Joe Qualls. More than three years after his walk through the fire, Qualls says he wants to turn his experience into a positive one.
"I want them to know that when they get home they are safe and they are not alone," he said.
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