Remember veterans when celebrating the 4th

Bobbie Samme’

You may see the signs popping up soon – red, white and blue notices that indicate the home of a veteran with the request to “please be courteous with fireworks.”

The signs are the work of a Facebook-launched nonprofit, Military With PTSD, founded in 2010 by Shawn Gourley, whose husband, Justin, served in the Navy for four years and returned with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Sudden and loud noises can trigger episodes of PTSD, bringing veterans back to traumatic experiences they have lived through during their service.

According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, up to 20 percent of military personnel who served in Iraq or Afghanistan experience PTSD each year.