Surf Dog Ricochet and Staff Sergeant Persons B. Griffith IV (Ret), AKA Griff,
traveled from their homes in San Diego and Texas to Washington DC in June. They
were invited to the Pentagon to be interviewed
by the Office of U.S. Marine Corps Communication.
Ricochet lay at Griff's feet, as Sergeant Tara Bray began the videotaped interview.
The focus was on how Ricochet
a certified goal-directed therapy dog through Pawsitive Teams has helped Griff in his battle against PTSD.
The two met through the Naval Medical Center San Diego's canine therapy program.
'Ricochet was like a mirror for me, it's like she reaches in with both her paws,
grabs what's really going on inside of you, pulls it out, and then forces you to
deal with it', Griff said.
Sergeant Bray also asked Griff to describe his experience in the Marine Corps during
his two tours in Afghanistan. He took a deep breath and began talking about
Lieutenant Colonel Mario 'Sugar Bear' Carazo, his Officer in Charge during his nine
month deployment in 2010. Griff said he drove Lt. Col Carazo to what ended up being
his last combat mission. He was killed when his helicopter was shot down while
providing air cover for an infantry batallion. 'I never really had a chance to deal
with it right after it happened', Griff said.
In a stunning twist of fate, it was learned that Lt. Col. Carazo's wife, Jennifer
and their children live in San Diego where Ricochet lives! Within a couple hours,
airline reservations were made, a fundraiser was established and Griff was flown
to San Diego.
Ricochet gave Griff the chance he didn't have in 2010. The chance to mourn, the chance to heal, and the chance to commiserate with Jennifer about Sugar Bear.
When Griff was asked how he felt about meeting Jennifer, he said 'there's a sense of
comfort in knowing his family is well, and continuing the work he was most
passionate about; making sacrifices to help others. Being in Jennifer's presence
was like getting to spend time with Lt Col Carazo. Sitting and connecting with
her gave me the opportunity to say goodbye to him, which I never had before.'
'Meeting Griff was an absolute blessing! He has given me a real connection to my
late husband,' Jennifer said.
Griff is now on the Board of Directors for Ricochet's non-profit, Puppy Prodigies.
He also holds the position of PTSD Advocate Warrior (PAW). His work with Ricochet
is three-fold; 1) To put an end to the 22 veterans a day who take their life by
suicide, 2) To fight the stigmatization of PTSD and 3) To help others find their
way through the healing power of dogs. In addition, Ricochet and Griff are featured
in the new IMAX film, Superpower Dogs, which showcases surf therapy and the
connections between humans and dogs.
Dogs love unconditionally. They do not judge. Service members often say Ricochet is
the only one who believes them.
Ricochet's behavior helps Griff (and others she works with) identify deep seated
emotional trauma which can then be addressed with therapists. As a result, the
healing process often advances more quickly. Here Ricochet maintains physical
contact with Griff by putting her paw on his foot which lowers his anxiety.
Ricochet initiates eye contact which releases oxytocin in the brain, a stress
reducing hormone.
There's a five-acre park in the middle of the Department of Defense's Pentagon
headquarters.
The Pentagon is Headquarters of the Department of Defense.
Marines from the Combat Camera & Visual Information Division took us on a tour,
including the office of Sergeant Major Green.
This office was burned on 9/11 as the plane impact was right next door. The
individual who had this office back then was in the bathroom, thus his life was
spared.
The Pentagon is a working military museum.
The Pentagon Memorial is located just southwest of The Pentagon. It's a permanent
outdoor memorial to the 184 people who died as victims in the building and on
American Airlines Flight 77 during the September 11 attacks. -Wikipedia
Ricochet, Griff and Jennifer are deeply touched and grateful to everyone who donated
and supported their meeting to honor Mario 'Sugar Bear' Carazo.
If you have PTSD, Please Visit Here:PTSD
or please reach out for help by calling the Veterans Crisis Line at
800-273-8255 and press 1. Discover how a pet dog, emotional support dog or service
dog can help you.
For those of you who Want More FUN - Visit The Shangy Fun List! Variety is the
spice of life! The Shangy Fun List is an ezine packed full of Poems, Inspirational and
Heart Warming Stories. Jokes from G to slightly R, and Anything else that just
might make you SMILE! Join In The Free FUN!! ... :)
-To SHANGRALA-
