For most people, fireworks are the highlight of their Fourth of July celebration. The flashing colors, the booming sounds…they do speak of celebration, don’t they?

That’s not true for everyone.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, just under 31 percent of male veterans suffer from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The percentage for female veterans is slightly lower at about 27 percent. What’s delightful for us can be traumatic for them.

The first organized celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence was July 4, 1777, and we’ve celebrated it every July 4 since. In the beginning, the entire Declaration of Independence was read, and the reading was followed by triumphant shouts and the firing of muskets.

Today, muskets have been replaced by fireworks, and those fireworks are an integral part of most Independence Day celebrations. Pell City is no exception. Every year, Lakeside Park is packed with people who come to enjoy the fireworks, and the lake is filled with boats for the same reason.

However, according to Carol Varner, it’s best for veterans with PTSD to avoid the fireworks entirely. Carol is a retired Lt. Colonel, who is also a disabled veteran. She is the Commander of the A.L. McLaughlen Chapter 27 of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), which meets in Pell City at the Recreation Hall on the third Tuesday of every month at 6:00 p.m.

Carol told me the loud fireworks could be alarming to veterans who suffer from PTSD. She suggested people who have someone in their family with PTSD can Google Fourth of July celebrations and make calls to find a celebration that does not include fireworks.

One activity Carol mentioned is the Fourth of July celebration at Indian Springs Village. The event featured a parade, rather than a fireworks display.

Ken Rollins is a veteran’s advocate and the television host of Veterans Issues. He is also on the State Board of Veterans Affairs. His feelings on veterans with PTSD and fireworks are different from Carol’s.

According to Rollins, veterans with PTSD don’t need to be sheltered. He said it isn’t the fireworks themselves that are the problem. It’s being unprepared for cannon or rifle fire and fireworks. Calling it the “What the heck?” factor, Rollins stressed that as long as veterans with PTSD are aware of what’s going to happen and are not caught off-guard, there’s no reason they can’t enjoy the fireworks.

One of my favorite activities this year was the Fourth of July cookout at the Colonel Robert L. Howard State Veterans Home in Pell City. According to Ali Conn, the VA Home’s Activities Coordinator, the celebration was open to the public. Activities started at noon and included a “fancy hot dog bar,” inflatables, music, and a watermelon-eating contest. Conn added she loved having the Pell City community come celebrate the Fourth of July with our veterans. For information about other activities at the Veterans Home, call Ms. Conn at (205) 227-7985.

I don’t intend to stop enjoying the fireworks, nor am I suggesting you avoid them. My husband and I went to Lakeside Park on July 4 to see the fireworks ourselves. We also went to the cookout at the Veterans Home to celebrate the Fourth of July with some of the people who helped keep America free.

However, if you or a loved one suffers with PTSD, it’s probably a good idea to have a conversation about what you and they are comfortable with. Then celebrate however you choose, including enjoyment of fireworks if that’s what you want to do—I certainly will.