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Start: Friday, July 11, 2025, 10:00 p.m. ET
End: Sunday, July 13, 2025, 3:00 p.m. ET

Help your Veteran enjoy the Fourth of July holiday

Sailors watch fireworks in Yokosuka, Japan, August 8, 2018. (U.S. Navy photo by Garrett Zopfi)

By Stephen Woolverton, Public Affairs Officer

Veterans, taking care of yourself is vital to taking care of your loved ones. This includes knowing your limits during the festivities for July 4th. Fireworks, crowds, loud noises and more can trigger those who experience combat, violence, explosions, or similar traumatic events.

According to the National Center for PTSD, “fireworks can be a trauma reminder for those who served in combat or went through a fire, explosion or gun violence. Whether expected or unexpected, fireworks can cause distress.”

Some examples of distress from these situations may include strong reactions to sounds or the flashing lights, feeling jumpy or on edge, feeling like you don’t have control, or feeling emotionally distant.

“When chaos is raging, one often feels compelled to calm it,” said Dr. Brian Macobin, Mental Health Specialty Section Chief at Robley Rex VA Medical Center. “This is folly. One does not quiet a hurricane. Instead, put yourself in the hurricane’s eye; calm yourself.” 

For Veterans this can mean …

  • Be understanding of and patient with yourself. Put yourself on the gentle cycle.
  • Remind yourself that your fear, anger, and other reactions are conditioned reactions to past events and not signals of current danger.
  • Try box breathing: 4 counts inhale, 4 counts hold, 4 counts exhale, 4 counts hold, repeat
  • Take care of yourself and lean on others who support you.

 For Family and Friends helping can look like …

  • Understanding that your loved one’s reactions are conditioned responses. Be understanding of and patient with them.
  • Remind your Veteran that they’re ultimately reacting to a memory and their current reactions reflect past danger, not present danger.

With planning and practice, you can learn skills to help you enjoy celebrations that include fireworks or manage distress if the fireworks are unexpected. If you have PTSD and find fireworks to be a difficult trauma reminder, a mental health provider can help you find ways to cope.