Brian and Nancy Smith, of Salisbury Township, went from being parents of a U.S. Marine to becoming Gold Star parents Nov. 5, 2012.

The Gold Star family is one that has experienced a loss of a loved one – an immediate family member – who died as the result of active-duty military service.

Their son, Joshua B. Smith, was a 2003 graduate of Salisbury HS where he co-captained the soccer team.

He served in the U.S. Marine Corps for eight years until being honorably discharged. He served in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom and was a color guard sergeant at Camp Pendleton, Calif. And on that fateful day in 2012, he died at the age of 27 due to the effects of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Brian said Josh was diagnosed with PTSD after he returned from Afghanistan and while he was still serving in the military.

When Josh completed his service and returned home, the family saw changes in him, but they weren’t sure how to help. Nancy said he disconnected himself from the family. Brian said he never slept in a bed after he came home, sleeping on a comforter on the floor instead if he slept at all. They would often see Josh just stare or gaze for a long period of time. “His eyes were not Josh,” Nancy said.

Loud noises very much affected him. They remember once a balloon popped at a birthday party and he had to leave the room.

Nancy said when Josh went to the Veterans Affairs in Wilkes-Barre, they put him on medication for PTSD. When he came home, Josh said he didn’t feel good when he took the medicine and didn’t feel good when not taking the medication.

The VA wanted him to open up and talk about what he was feeling, but he didn’t believe he could do that with the doctors on staff.

“We didn’t understand what he was going through until he was gone,” Nancy said.

Josh told Nancy once about a female Marine friend who took her life, leaving behind children, and it really affected him. And in the end, Josh died, leaving two young girls behind.

“We never suspected he was suicidal,” Brian said. “We knew he was lost, but we didn’t understand how severe it was.”

On that day in November, Brian and Nancy were at a funeral for a family member and, although expected, Josh never showed up. They went back to the house he shared with his sister Jen and found him dead.

Following his death, the family sought assistance to deal with their grief. They went to Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors for military families in Philadelphia. They met a couple from Scranton who had lost their son who was killed in action. There were a couple hundred people in the room and many had lost a loved one.

“Just to be able to talk to other people who are going through the same thing is helpful,” Nancy said. “We never want anyone to go through this pain.

“We don’t want anyone to go through life saying, ‘I should have, would have, could have.’ It’s time to get out of the basement,” Brian said.

Around this time, Nancy and Brian watched a 60 Minutes episode (aired 11 years ago) about Clay Hunt, a Marine who served in Afghanistan (m.youtube.com/watch?v=poxKILRDvCA). He was diagnosed with PTSD and died by suicide. It helped to see that story.

Brian and Nancy decided to take their anger and emptiness and see if they could help someone else, even if it is just one person.

Brian said there are many organizations that help support veterans diagnosed or undiagnosed with PTSD or with any other need they may have. Tails of Valor, Camp Freedom and Veterans Brotherhood are some of the many organizations supporting veterans.

Brian said the private sector has really stepped up and started helping veterans as well.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Center for PTSD, “When you are in the military, you may see combat. You may have been on missions that exposed you to horrible and life-threatening experiences. Or you may have experienced a serious training accident. These types of events can lead to PTSD.

“PTSD is slightly more common among veterans than civilians. At some point in their lives, 7 percent will have PTSD. In the general population, (6 percent) will have PTSD in their lifetimes. PTSD is also more common among female veterans (13 percent) versus male veterans (6 percent).”

Clyde Hoch is the founder/president of Veterans Brotherhood. “While doing research for a book I was writing based on veteran suicides, I became alarmed by the high number of veteran suicides. I wanted to do something about it. From this the Veterans Brotherhood organization was born.” The organization has helped veterans with back taxes, car payments, rent, food, clothes and car repairs. It has taken over a hundred veterans off the streets and found places for them to live. It has given gift cards to some veteran families that have come up short during the holidays or to help with their children. Based in Pennsburg, they have monthly meetings held at the Lehigh Valley Active Life Center, 1633 Elm St., Allentown, 7 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month. Everyone is welcome, veteran or non-veteran. There are no dues. No one is paid. All donations go directly to veterans. They can be contacted at veteransbrotherhood.vet or by calling 267-424-4162.

Tails of Valor, Paws of Honor is a nonprofit providing service dogs for veterans. They do not receive federal funding; they depend on public donations, grants, fundraisers and volunteers. The cost to raise, equip and train the dogs is in excess of $25,000. The duration of time for training is anywhere from 16-24 months. Each dog is named in honor of a fallen soldier. They can be contacted at tailsofvalor.org or by calling 267-733-7294.

Camp Freedom is a nonprofit organization that provides outdoor adventures on 2,350 acres for disabled veterans and first responders, their family members and Gold Star families including quality hunting, shooting sports, fishing, hiking, biking and other year-round outdoor activities. These activities remove individuals from clinical settings into the healing environment of the outdoors and nature. The camp provides high quality outdoor adventures combining each activity with peer-to-peer interaction and camaraderie. This combination helps guests find a new purpose, mission, and hope once again. Camp Freedom can be reached at campfreedompa.org or by calling 570-536-6000.

Brian and Nancy will host the 12th annual Joshua B. Smith – USMC Angelversary Fundraiser 5-9 p.m. Nov. 30 at Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays Event Center, 2750 Limestone St, Coplay. Tails of Valor will also attend.

If you are a veteran in need of care or if you know someone in need of care, please reach out to any of these organizations. There is help available.

A special thank you to all of our veterans who have served or who are currently serving. Your sacrifice is very much appreciated.

Let us take the time to reach out veterans in need to let them know they are not alone.