The Town of Smithtown Town Board unanimously approved the 2021 capital budget on Thursday January 21st. Capital improvements for the upcoming year are heavily focused on Parks and Recreation projects, in an effort to improve quality of life amid the coronavirus pandemic. Highlights of the plan include improvements to the pool area at Landing Country Club, renovating East Hills & Laurel Drive parks and replacing the turf soccer fields at Moriches Park.
By the end of 2021, the Town of Smithtown will have completed the renovation and restoration process of over 75% of the town’s parks and beaches in a four-year period. The 2021 capital budget continues these efforts with the planned revitalization of parks like East Hills and Laurel Drive, along with replacing the turf fields at Moriches Soccer Complex and the replacement and relocation of the playground at Flynn Memorial Ballpark.
Additionally, the installation of permanent shade structures at the Landing Country Club pool will complement the recently completed new surfacing and stairwell replacement. The Parks department is also in the process of installing a new bathroom and small concession area at the entrance to the country club to accommodate golfers. The golf course was recently renovated (2019) which included the repaving of the golf cart paths and roadway, constructing a custom-built starter shack and halfway house, all new landscaping of the entryway island as well as brand new sidewalks, benches and fencing.
Capital Budget Highlights:
Replacement of Turf Soccer Fields at Moriches Park Soccer Complex
Renovations to the playground, resurfacing of tennis courts, new fencing, handball courts and walkways at Laurel Drive Park
New playgrounds, refurbished Handball Courts and new walkways at East Hill Park
Replacement and repositioning of playground and repaving of the parking lot and curbing at Flynn Memorial Ballpark
Permanent shade structure awnings around the Smithtown Landing Country Club Pools
A Solar Farm development & Solar Array Feasibility Study to evaluate placing solar arrays on Town Property
Replacement of heavy-duty trucks and equipment for snow removal
Replacement of the Kings Park Salt Barn to mitigate environmental impacts of road salt storage
Refinancing of 2013 outstanding bonds resulting in estimated aggregate savings of approximately $115,000.
“Providing residents with improved facilities and parks has never been more vital to the wellbeing and quality of life of our quaint community. In these uncertain times, the people of this great community can rest assured of this administration’s steadfast commitment to restoring and maintaining the parks system for all to enjoy,” said Supervisor Ed Wehrheim.
Sharon Gatz-Philbrick, Christian Neubert and Erika Gronenthal are striving to help their neighbors in need. Photo by Ottilie Philbrick
By Courtney Rehfeldt
When three residents of Port Jefferson saw COVID-19 presenting a financial impact on community members, they decided to come together and form Hometown Hope Port Jefferson.
Launched by Sharon Gatz-Philbrick, Erika Gronenthal and Christian Neubert, the trio works to assist those in need while bringing the community together during a difficult time.
“At the peak of the pandemic, businesses and schools closed, leaving families struggling to make ends meet,” Gatz-Philbrick said. “Families faced much uncertainty as bills piled up, and paychecks didn’t come. There was a struggle to put food on the table, and grocery shelves were bare. The list of worries seemed endless and the need for support and hope became apparent.”
Remembering the kindness she personally experienced from Port Jefferson locals, Gatz-Philbrick wanted to return the favor.
“In the midst of a challenging time, residents from the village did so many amazing things for my children and me,” she said. “I wanted to create an organization that continued these amazing acts of kindness. Alone we can do so little, and together we can do so much more.”
Besides providing a helping hand, Hometown Hope has connected local volunteers and businesses in a joint effort.
“Port Jefferson village is a small town,” Neubert said. “In a place where everyone knows your name, we wanted to allow neighbors to help neighbors. One small act of kindness can lead to an entire town of encouraging acts of goodness and positive change.”
Hometown Hope provided Thanksgiving meal boxes and collected gift donations for the holidays, teaming up with Torte Jeff Pie Co. and other local businesses to fulfill their mission. Mather Hospital has provided donations, and the group has gotten support from Infant Jesus food kitchen and Rima Potter Designs.
“There comes a time in all our lives where we need assistance, it is a humbling moment, and we are hoping to pay it forward in our community,” Gatz-Philbrick said. “A little bit of kindness goes a long way. We don’t always see who is hurting or why, but we want to be there for them if they need extra help or assistance. We believe having a strong support structure is perhaps one of the most important steps to healing.”
In addition to collecting monetary or specific item donations, Hometown Hope Port Jefferson is also looking for volunteers to donate their time to help collect and distribute items as well as assist with future initiatives in the new year.
People who live in the Port Jefferson Village who need to apply for help can be nominated through the organization’s website, or can contact the group through social media. The organization can be found on Facebook by searching Hometown Hope Port Jefferson. or online at hometownhopepj.org.
The Joseph P. Dwyer Memorial Statue was installed this month by Fricke Memorials at the Rocky Point Veterans Memorial Square, standing at the crossroads of Broadway and Route 25A.
This bronze statue identifies the psychological and physical reminders that many armed forces members must endure long after they return home from the fighting.
At one point this town park was an eyesore to the community. For many years, there was trouble at this location, and in 2011 the Town of Brookhaven permanently closed the Oxygen Bar on the property.Led by Councilwoman Jane Bonner (R-Rocky Point), the town purchased the land for $525,000 in 2015.
On Oct. 17, 2016, the town installed large poles that flew the American and military branch flags.
As a longtime resident of the area, Bonner said, “It was an absolute pleasure to be a part of this worthy endeavor to honor the military efforts of Dwyer and to understand the true significance of the struggles of PTSD. This is an extremely special location to also thank our armed forces members.”
While Bonner has been involved with many key projects, she was also instrumental in helping create the Diamond in the Pines 9/11 Memorial that was built in 2011 by VFW Post 6249 Rocky Point.
Joseph Dwyer in uniform. Photo from Dwyer family
Former state Sen. Ken LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) also played a big role in securing the necessary funds for the Dwyer statue. VFW Post 6249 Comdr. Joe Cognitore said LaValle “always positively worked with veterans groups and to help our diverse needs. This statue signifies the amazing drive of LaValle to always be a true champion of support towards the past, present and future members of the military.”
The structure that remembers Dwyer, who was a graduate of Mount Sinai High School, illustrates the vital need to help those service members who are suffering from PTSD.
Positive sentiments were expressed by members of the Rocky Point High School History Honor Society.Senior Tristan Duenas said, “The town did a wonderful job in replacing a poor piece of land and making it into a vital memorial to pay tribute to our veterans, especially those that have been inflicted by PTSD.”
Junior Caroline Settepani added, “This statue demonstrates the major achievements of veterans like Dwyer that risked their lives to help people from different parts of the world.”
Following her research, junior Madelynn Zarzycki believed “the project is also connected to the past negative treatment of the Vietnam veterans who received little support when they came home.”
According to Zarzycki, “These veterans who fought in Southeast Asia faced a severe amount of PTSD challenges that impacted the rest of their lives. It does not matter when a soldier served in battle, these harsh experiences do not discriminate from one generation to the next.”
Senior Chloe Fish recalled the former Oxygen Bar as a “detriment toward the beauty of this community. Now the Dwyer statue adds a new prospective of service to the downtown area of Rocky Point.”
Gerard Romano of Port Jefferson Station snapped this photo in the Village of Port Jefferson on Jan. 15. He writes, ‘As I took a walk for a bit of fresh air along the Danford Hotel pier the seagulls were bracing themselves against the stiff breeze. I used my 18-200mm lens to frame one with the Stony Brook University research vessel Seawolf as a bokeh backdrop.’
The Port Jefferson Elks donated funds, knowing it was going towards Comsewogue graduates in the military. Photo from CSD
Comsewogue staff, students and parents worked extra hard this year to not only make things the best it could be for their current students, but also for those graduates now in the military.
“Since early December, we have been looking for partners in the community who could help us financially with some of our costs to send care packages around the world,” said teacher Andrew Harris. “It is a very hard time of year for local businesses, so we decided to ask our local Elks organization.”
Harris said that after a few weeks, the Elks organization told them they would contribute $500 buy gift certificates for those serving.
“I was blown away because they too have had it difficult, but when I went to the lodge, I learned that these are very special people who were truly concerned about our local community and truly helping,” Harris added. “I have appealed to many large corporations only to be turned down. The Elks were delighted to be asked and give to us. They tend to do things one dollar at a time with each member donating their own hard-earned money.”
When Harris received the contribution, he went to the local Target where the store matched his initial $500.
One of the most powerful items in the care packages are always the handwritten notes that the students send. At John F. Kennedy Middle School, teachers Dave Anzini, Katy Dornicik and Melissa McMullen decided to make great lessons out of creating the letters.
“The essence of a strong writing program is one that engages students in authentic, meaningful experiences that not only build their skills as writers but invites them to wield their writing as a powerful tool for the greater good of society,” McMullen said. “They were powerful, indeed, as one of the moms whose son was to receive a package said, ‘I was just looking into the bag you dropped off for Ryan. After reading the wonderful letters I started to cry. Please thank your students and let them know how proud and thankful I am as Ryan’s mom for their kindest and the awesome letters they wrote and pictures. I know Ryan will love them and will enjoy them. They will be put in his memory box to share with his friends and family always.’”
Some of the students wrote inspiring messages asking lots of questions about what life was like on an aircraft carrier for example. Six grader Sophia Nielsen said, “I’m very grateful to the soldiers. They’re such amazing people. Without them, we wouldn’t be here. They save so many people’s lives and risk their own life for us. I wish them the very best. Stay safe and healthy. You deserve the best. Thanks for your dedication and support!”
Comsewogue alumn LCpl Paul Piotrowski is currently stationed overseas. Photo from CSD
When one military member and graduate LCpl Paul Piotrowsk received his care package and letters. He was delighted, and texted from an undisclosed location overseas to his former teacher Ms. Droge (Dornicik), and her students, that it meant a lot for him to receive his gifts and letters from them and how much he appreciated it. He is currently a Marine working hard as a crew chief and operator of an Amphibious Assault Vehicle.
Even former students were inspired to get involved. Arianna Morturano, a 2019 graduate, decided to help out by selling holiday items to help fundraise.
“After growing up in this very amazing community, I wish to give back to those who serve and protect. My former classmates are selfless, brave and the true embodiment of what it means to be a warrior. They deserve to be honored for their service,” she said.
Superintendent Jennifer Quinn said giving back to those serving is a great experience for the students.
“It is such a great lesson for students to see how empowered they feel when they can do something for others,” she said.
“These actions made such a big difference for those military graduates that they have a direct connection to.I am proud to be part of such an outstanding team!”
Courtesy of Comsewogue School District and Andrew Harris
Robert Van Zeyl. Photo from Suffolk County Police Department
UPDATE:The funeral service for Suffolk County Police Lieutenant Robert Van Zeyl, who died Jan. 20 due to COVID-19, will be held Jan. 26 at 11:30 a.m. at St. Gerard Majella R.C. Church, located at 300 Terryville Road in Port Jefferson Station. Terryville Road will be closed between University Drive and Whitman Avenue from 11:15 a.m. to approximately 12:45 p.m. Motorists are encouraged to avoid the area due to increased traffic. Attendees are asked to park at the church.
A Suffolk County Police Department lieutenant is the first department member to lose the fight against the coronavirus.
According to a Jan. 20 press release from the SCPD, the department is mourning the loss of active duty member Robert Van Zeyl who died from COVID-19 Jan. 20.
The death is the first of an active duty sworn member of the SCPD due to the COVID-19 virus, and Van Zeyl will be honored with a line of duty funeral, arrangements of which are pending.
“It is with great sadness that we mourn the loss of an exceptional member of our law enforcement family, Lieutenant Robert Van Zeyl,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. “Lt. Van Zeyl’s more than three decades of exemplary service are a testament to his commitment to public service, and even in the midst of a global pandemic, he was on the frontlines every day helping residents in need. Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Van Zeyl family during this difficult time.”
Van Zeyl, who was 60, tested positive for COVID-19 Jan. 3 and was hospitalized a week later.
“COVID-19 has impacted law enforcement agencies throughout the country and it is with deep sadness that the Suffolk County Police Department has lost its first member of service who contracted coronavirus earlier this month,” said Suffolk County Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart. “Lt. Van Zeyl served Suffolk County residents with distinction for nearly 36 years and his legacy will continue with the members of this department. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family.”
According to the press release, Van Zeyl joined the SCPD in February 1985 and served in the 5th Precinct upon graduation from the academy. Van Zeyl was promoted to Sergeant in 1994 and then Lieutenant in 2003. He served as the Commanding Officer of the Applicant Investigation Section and the Administrative Services Bureau before transferring to the 2nd Precinct in 2015 where he worked until his death.
“It is truly heartbreaking to lose a member of our department, doubly so personally given the fact that I have known Bob for my entire career,” said Suffolk County Police Chief of Department Stuart Cameron. “Thirty-six years ago, we were sworn in together and became Suffolk County Police officers; his entire adult life was dedicated to public safety. Bob’s passing exemplifies the multifaceted dangers that members of our department face every day to keep the residents of our county safe. Our department grieves his loss along with his family.”
During his more than three-decade career, Van Zeyl received more than a dozen recognitions for his contributions to the police department including two Cop of the Month honors and the Excellent Police Duty Award for amassing 12 or more self-initiated DWI arrests in a single year.
“Bob was a wonderful person, a dedicated member of our department, and a pleasure to know both personally and professionally,” said 2nd Precinct Commanding Officer Inspector William Scrima. “He was a person who genuinely enjoyed his work and was liked by people of all ranks who knew him and worked with him. He will be truly missed by this department and by the Second Precinct in particular.”
Van Zeyl is survived by his ex-wife Christine Zubrinic, his daughter Hailey and son Tyler, both 14.
“The Suffolk County Police Department has not only lost a great police officer, but we’ve lost a great boss, and more importantly, a great friend,” said Sergeant Jack Smithers, who worked with Van Zeyl in the 2nd Precinct. “He will be sorely missed by all.”
Rigatoni with shrimp at Pasta Pasta in Port Jefferson. Photo by Kimberly Brown
By Kimberly Brown
Long Island Restaurant Week has created a new spin on its yearly week-long dining event — but this year takeout will be the focus due to the precautions of COVID-19.
The event is running from Jan. 24 through 31 and select restaurants will feature a $25, $35 or $42 three-course prix fixe available for takeout. Customers are still allowed to dine in if they choose to do so.
Steve Haweeli, president of LIRW, emphasized the importance of the changes made for the event this year.
“This campaign stresses takeout,” he said. “It’s safer from a COVID-19 standpoint, and allows restaurants to save tables for those who dine in.”
A tasty calamari appetizer at Pasta Pasta. Photo by Kimberly Brown
One of the four participating restaurants in Port Jefferson is Pasta Pasta, a popular Italian trattoria that is offering the three-course prix fixe for $35. Owner, Debra Bowling, said one of the good things to come out of the pandemic was the loyalty from her customers, and knowing the support she has from them.
“The customers would come up to order takeout and say, ‘Are we helping? Are you OK?’” she said.
Bowling added that at the beginning of the pandemic, customers would visit the restaurant and give money to the workers in the kitchen because they knew their hours were cut.
“It’s so overwhelming,” she said. “Sometimes I get choked up. It’s a very warm feeling.”
Some of her customer’s favorites include the tortelloni stuffed with six cheeses, filet mignon, wasabi calamari and the bacon-wrapped shrimp.
“We have customers that come in for the same thing every week,” Bowling added. “It’s so funny — it never changes.”
Wave Seafood & Steak and The Club a Public Steakhouse, are also participating in LIRW. While both are operated by Crest Hospitality, the restaurants have their own ambience.
Wave Seafood overlooks the marina, and The Club a Public Steakhouse is located on a cliff over-looking the Long Island Sound. Both spots will be offering the $35 three-course prix fixe for take-out or dine in as well.
Outdoor insulated igloos are good balance between indoor and outside dining at Danfords. Photo by Kimberly Brown
Michael Lang, vice president of food and beverage with Crest Hospitality, explained the attributes that he considers make his restaurants stand out.
“Three simple reasons — the food, the service and the views.” he said, “We provide a great experience for people who come, and for $35 this is a great opportunity if you haven’t been to our restaurants before.”
Learning to roll with the punches of the pandemic, both restaurants also provide enclosed, heated, outdoor seating. Wave Seafood offers insulated igloos to rent, which are located on the deck.
“Every day you learn something new,” Lang said. “You learn to manage day-to-day and go with the flow to make it work as best as you can, and we have had a lot of good successes come out of that.”
Ruvo East is the fourth Port Jefferson restaurant joining The Club, Wave and Pasta Pasta with a $35 prix-fixe menu.
Hope Kinney standing in front of the Rotary Club truck in Hicksville about to receive 4,000 masks in 2020. Photo from Hope Kinney
By Chris Cumella
The Rotary Club of Stony Brook is lending aid in a community-involvement project designed to help those in need of face masks to receive them.
Hope Kinney, president of the club and branch manager of Investors Bank, oversees the Rotary and plans to distribute masks to organizations in the area that include local businesses, schools and more.
The Million Mask Challenge has been orchestrated by Rotary International, anorganization designed to aid in community outreach and assistance. Stony Brook Rotary is just one of 35,000 clubs globally with over 1.2 million members. With the clubs’ combined efforts, the goal is to distribute a million masks worldwide.
“We picked up our supply of 4,000 masks [recently] when the Rotarian groups of the New York area met together in Hicksville,” Kinney said. “We’re going to give to the local library, the churches, temples and anybody else in the community that is interested.”
The main focus for distribution plans to revolve around local businesses that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and those people who are more at risk.
According to Rotary’s vice president, Jeannette Merola, the process will be door-to-door style. Through the efforts of 20 volunteers, deliveries will be made to those in need in St. James, Setauket and Stony Brook as soon as Saturday, Jan. 23.
“I have 1,000 masks in my room ready to go,” Merola said. “This whole thing is meant to encourage and foster the ideal of community service and to give back.”
The Rotary Club of Stony Brook meets every other Thursday at 12:15 p.m. at Stony Brook’s The Bench. The Million Mask Challenge is one of many volunteer opportunities offered. Kinney has encouraged those interested in visiting the club’s website at www.stonybrookrotary.com, showing up to meetings and asking any questions.
For some members, the Rotary is a constant commitment for the sake of others. This includes Dan Berger, outreach and public relations manager, who has worked as the team’s PR for the past 14 years following his days first volunteering with the organization as far back as the 1980s.
“One of my great early memories was one of our fundraisers at the Stony Brook horse show next to Old Field Club,” Berger said. “I spent the day making hot dogs and hamburgers for people — it was a lot of fun.”
The Rotary Club of Stony Brook shares the goal of aiding those in the community while remembering those who were part of their past deeds. It has been some nine months since the passing of George Rehn, who devoted 40 years to Rotary and served as district governor and president of the club.
Kinney was appointed president of the club in July and has made an effort alongside her colleagues to keep Rehn in heart by helping the community with campaigns such as the mask challenge.
“He lived and breathed being a Rotarian,” Kinney said. “He always had nice things to say about everybody, and he would be very proud of us and the achievements that we’re working toward.”
It was during Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first inauguration address in 1933 when he uttered the famous sentence, “So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”
It was a call to Americans to work together to fight against dark times.
Our country has known collective terror throughout the decades, and 2020 will be remembered as the year we feared an invisible virus and people taking advantage of peaceful protests by looting stores and burning cars. That trepidation carried over into the new year as citizens watched as extremists sieged the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
Nearly 90 years after Roosevelt called for Americans to fight fear, we find ourselves afraid of our fellow citizens. Since the attack on the People’s House in Washington, D.C., members of Congress are worried that their safety, as well as that of their family members, is in jeopardy. Some even believe their own colleagues will harm them if they speak out against former President Donald Trump (R). Rep. Peter Meijer (R-MI-03), a freshman congressman, told CNN he was afraid of possible threats after he voted to impeach Trump.
The fear has trickled down to our own neighborhoods as many are hesitant to speak their opinions, afraid if their views are more conservative than others they will be tied to the extremists who assaulted the Capitol.
There are those who once wouldn’t think twice about standing on a corner to protest or rally, even if people who held opposing views were right across the street. Now many are hesitant that their words might be met with foul language, assault and worse.
Many this past summer, during protests, witnessed foul language being exchanged between protesters and anti-protesters. Black Lives Matters participants in a rally in Smithtown in June took to social media alleging that they were assaulted. In September, a Massapequa man was arrested for allegedly assaulting a 64-year-old man who was rallying with the North Country Patriots, a conservative group that meets on the corner of Bennetts Road and Route 25A every Saturday morning.
Our times have become so divisive that many have forgotten the adversities Americans have gone through together — the Great Depression, the world wars, 9/11 and more. These horrific events didn’t leave us weaker, they left us stronger.
We became stronger because we live in a country where we have the right to pursue happiness, the right to gather, the right to express our opinions and so much more. And while we may not have the right to use those words and actions to cause harm to others or property, we have those rights.
Most of our fellow Americans get that. So let’s move forward together, stronger and more fearlessly than before with knowledge and empathy, embracing our freedoms and respecting that others in this country enjoy the same rights.
A statue of Joseph Dwyer in Rocky Point. File photo by Kyle Barr
By Rich Acritelli
Through these daunting times, the men and women in the Armed Services have always made this nation proud of their efforts to protect, preserve and promote the ideals of this nation at home and abroad.
Earlier this month, Tommy Fricke and his workers from Fricke Memorial added a tribute to the Rocky Point Veterans Square on the corner of Broadway and 25A — another reminder of national service to local residents — through the Combat Medic Joseph P. Dwyer Statue.
This statue of Dwyer identifies the terrible impact of post traumatic stress disorder on combat veterans that have returned home after being involved in serious fighting. Since 1915, this recognized brain trauma, from the impact of fighting on a soldier was identified as “shell shocked.”
There was no significant counseling that was offered by the government to properly treat millions of men and women from these different conflicts. Little was offered in therapy to the veteran that had fought over the skies of Europe, or who landed at D-Day, or through the island-hopping campaigns in the Pacific and Asia.
In many cases, veterans were told to forget about their experiences, go home, get married, attend college, find a job and start a family.
Photo by Kyle Barr
It is highly possible that many of the people who drive by the Dwyer Statue had family members who had no significant help to deal with PTSD. Some men and women had nightmares, outbursts, flashbacks and were in dire need of mental and physical attention that was not provided to them.
According to the Veterans Administration, the most recent Gulf War veterans that served during Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom have been inflicted from 11-20 veterans out of every 100. During Desert Storm, the figure is 12 out of every 100 veterans have suffered from PTSD.
And these numbers are staggering for Vietnam veterans, who at one point in their life had to deal with the enormous pressures of their service. It is estimated that at least 30% of Vietnam Veterans endured PTSD.
This new statue focuses on the strength of American service, and the responsibilities of our government to care for all the members of the Armed Forces when they return home.
As a child, Dwyer attended elementary school at Infant Jesus in Port Jefferson and graduated from Mount Sinai High School in 1994. As a young man, he enjoyed playing golf and going fishing with his friends and family. After he left high school, Dwyer moved to North Carolina with his parents and was employed at a local hospital where he transported people who needed medical treatment.
According to his older sister Kristine, Dwyer was a peaceful man who always wanted to care for others.When America was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001, after watching the assault on this nation, he tried to enlist that very day into the army but had to wait until Sept. 12. He eventually graduated from Basic and Advanced Individual Training from Fort Benning, Georgia, where he became a combat medic.
Shortly after finishing his training, Dwyer was sent to Fort Bliss, Texas, where he vaccinated soldiers that were deployed overseas. On Feb. 15, 2003, he married his sweetheart, Matina, in Troy, North Carolina.
When President George W. Bush (R) ordered American soldiers to be sent to the Middle East to attack Saddam Hussein and Iraq in 2003, Dwyer replaced a single mother, so that she was able to remain home with her child. He was one of the first soldiers to enter Iraq during this war with the 37th Cavalry Regiment.
Joseph Dwyer in uniform. Photo from Dwyer family
While Dwyer told his family that he was being deployed to a hospital in Kuwait, they had no idea that he was with the leading army units that were on the road toward Baghdad — it wasn’t until the media began to run stories of his actions saving a child when they realized he was serving in Iraq.
This well-known picture of Dwyer carrying a young child to safety was published and reported across the nation, and around the globe.But to the day he died, Dwyer repeatedly stated that there was another combat medic that played a pivotal role in saving the life of this young boy.
It was a difficult deployment for Dwyer who was constantly under attack, lonely and unable to sleep.An exhausted Dwyer began inhaling computer cleaner Dust-Off to help him sleep a few hours before going back onto duty.
On June 20, 2008, Dwyer left Iraq and traveled alone to Fort Bliss to eventually meet his wife, where they set up their home. A month later, the couple headed back to Mount Sinai, where he enjoyed the reunion with his family, friends and teachers.
Right away, his sister realized that he was grossly underweight. He lost over 40 pounds during his time in Iraq. While Kristine cherishes the moment of seeing her brother after his deployment, she is not sure of his true joy, due to his unknown PTSD condition.
Once he was at home, Dwyer was continually impacted by the issues of his PTSD condition. There were points that when he was driving, that Dwyer feared possible unexploded ordinances that were on the roads. He never held the feeling of personal safety, had disturbing visions, and for the rest of his life, this peaceful man had no personal peace after he served in Iraq.
Kristine noticed a stare that developed in her brother who always wanted to be outside. Matina observed that her husband never liked going out to dinner, he closely watched the other customers, and always kept an eye on the door. Dwyer eventually gained his discharge from the service, but it was a battle to fight the government to receive his full disability compensation. During his service at home and when he left the army, Dwyer was still unable to sleep, and he continued to inhale Dust-Off.
By the end of his life in 2008, he did not have family members living with him and was unable to hold onto his own mental state.
The picture that was widely presented across the nation and in different parts of the world was indicative of the kindness of Dwyer, even as he dealt with the horrors of his own personal concerns.
Until he passed away, it was important for Dwyer to have his story truthfully reported that presented the negatives of PTSD, and how it drastically changed the mental state of this peaceful citizen. On June 28, 2008, Dwyer died from the inhalants that he used to cope with the severity of his PTSD.
Dwyer and his family. Photo from Dwyer family.
In speaking about the memory of her husband, Matina firmly recalls how he always sought to help others with an immense amount of love. This affection was especially demonstrated to his then two-year-old daughter who was called his “little princess.”
Meagan K. Dwyer is now 14 years old with a memory that lives on through family stories and pictures of her father.
At the end of World War II, the historic Flag Raising at Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima, was a similar picture that showed the resolve of American service overseas.
When Ira Hayes, a marine that hoisted this flag during the earliest moments of this terrifying battle, came home, he suffered from PTSD where he drank heavily and agonized over his fellow marines and friends that died on this island. A short time later, he died from excessive drinking.
Although Hayes passed away nearly 67 years ago, his story is connected to Dwyer. Both veterans were widely documented through a historic picture that rapidly received national acclaim from Americans across this country.
But the hardships of PTSD never discriminate from one soldier or conflict to the next, and it is vital for this government to always perfect its ways to help combat veterans.
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