There are a lot more heroes in this world than you might think, and while most television or comic book heroes may wear capes, the real-world heroes often wear uniforms.
Erick Scott is one of those admirable people- a real badass who has risked his own life to serve his country.
Just like any other veteran out there, Erick is just a human being, like you and me.
The former soldier is now married and a proud father, and looks back on a lengthy career with the national guard and the army for over sixteen years.
Erick will never forget his past with the military and has a lot of symbolic things tattooed on one of his arms.
On his right forearm, we can see a lot of things that are extremely important and meaningful for the veteran.
We see empty army boots, a skull, and a rifle. If you’re not familiar with what this means, it’s essentially the soldier’s cross or battlefield cross. These were placed directly on the battlefield or at the base camp station of a fallen soldier.
For Erick, wearing his uniform meant more than just protecting and serving his country.
He wore it with absolute pride, and it reminded him of his father, the one person in his life who he respects the most and looks up to every single day.
Eric went through horrible things in Iraq and came back to the United States with survivor’s guilt.
“Son, you’ve got eleven guys. Make sure you bring them all back,” his father said to him.
Tragically, not every soldier made it back to the United States. It’s an incredibly harsh reality, but one that definitely is terribly hard to swallow as well. Erick tries talking about what happened, but you can clearly hear the emotion in his voice.
Ever since he got back, Erick has been dealing with an immense feeling of guilt and daily nightmares.
Sleeping is no joy anymore for the man, and he even says that she drenches his bedsheets because he’d wake up in cold sweat every time. Doctors diagnosed him with PTSD, but Erick refused to take his medication for it, as he felt guilty.
The pills ended up in the trash can, but there’s something else that helps immensely – or rather, someone else.
Canines for Warriors is a non-profit organization that provides veterans with therapy dogs, or K9’s, if you will, because it can help immensely for people who suffer from brain trauma and PTSD.
Usually, dogs are specifically trained for a specific purpose and veteran, and Erick was also appointed a special four-footer that would drastically change his life around for the better.
Gumbo, an adorable black Labrador Retriever, is Erick’s best friend and they’re inseparable. He’s a very good listener, and the four-footer makes sure that his owner is as comfortable as possible.
At one point in the interview, Erick gets notably agitated and frustrated.
Whenever someone tries to talk about his condition and tells him that he has PTSD, the man usually isn’t able to stay calm. His vocabulary also starts to become quite colorful, and you can just tell he’s frustrated and mad.
He says that there’s a stigma that people want to put on him and that he doesn’t want to be considered a victim. It makes him angry and sad at the same time.
When Gumbo notices his owner’s frustration, he immediately steps in!
This dog was specially trained to recognize situations of agitation and help where needed. Right away, Gumbo tries to grab Erick’s attention and shares his affection, just so Erick would feel a little bit better.
It’s not just animal instincts and rigorous training at work, but also a whole lot of love and loyalty for his owner.
This K9 would do anything for his proud owner.
Be sure to watch Erick’s heartfelt interview and Gumbo’s amazing reaction below.
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