Jason battled loneliness in the years following his separation from the Marines. But a sweet, loving rescue dog is filling this veteran’s home – and life – with a sense of purpose he had been missing.
The eve of war
On the third day of his senior year in high school Jason enlisted in the Marines. After a year in the delayed entry program and upon graduation he started bootcamp at Parris Island.
It was August, 2001. Within weeks Jason had an experience that would shape the entirety of his enlistment.
“We were marching to the rifle range,” he recalls, “when 9/11 happened.”
Angels among us
After bootcamp Jason trained as a KC-130 in-flight mechanic and powerline mechanic.
The KC-130 – known as the Super Hercules – provides in-air refueling of aircraft during expeditionary operations. This airborne workhorse is configurable to carry cargo or personnel as well.
Jason would soon deploy to some of the most dangerous combat theaters on the planet. The timing of his enlistment all but guaranteed it.
“I did three tours to the Middle East,” he says, “stationed in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Iraq.”
Yet in the midst of the scourge of war Jason found moments of quiet dignity. He helped transport fallen service members in flag-draped coffins from Iraq to Kuwait.
These angel flights are a solemn responsibility. They reflect the sacred bonds service members share, both in life and even in death.
“From there the service members would make [their] journeys home,” he shares.
“I have performed dozens of these flights and carried many flag covered coffins during my deployments to the Middle East. That is something that will forever be seared into my brain.”
Alone and lonely
Since separating from service Jason settled in Livonia, Michigan. He works in the medical manufacturing industry. When not at work the Marine Corps veteran enjoys not one, but three creative pursuits.
“I am also a photographer,” he says, “and have hobbies as a woodworker and leather worker.”
Yet despite his busy work schedule and leisure pursuits Jason felt adrift. A gaping void started to consume his world.
The young veteran recalls growing up with dogs and how they always made life feel complete. Jason decided that it was the right time for him to adopt a companion pet.
“When I finally was able to finish college and purchase my first home, it always seems empty and lonely,” he shares. “So I started looking at the local rescues for a dog.”
“…a tremendous help to me”
It was November 2018. Like many would-be adopters Jason started his search for a pet online. He discovered Pets for Patriots and our companion pet adoption program for military veterans.
The war veteran appreciated the benefits we offer to make adopting a pet more affordable. And our year of post-adoption follow up was a big bonus, as well.
Jason remembers thinking at the time that he welcomed the help to ease his pet adoption journey.
“Being that this is the first time I was adopting or owning a dog on my own, Pets for Patriots was a tremendous help to me.”
It would be a little more than two months later when Jason met his match. His profound loneliness would soon be a distant memory.
Fear not
Kris Kringle was a then two year-old Labrador mix with an ebony coat and adorable white patches of fur. His history was a mystery. But in the shelter he showed signs of resource guarding, as well as growl and freeze behaviors.
Rescue dogs who exhibit these behaviors are usually not vicious by nature. Many were victims of abuse and neglect, or were rescued from living as strays. Some may act aggressively when they feel scared or threatened.
Jason was up to the challenge. As a war zone veteran he understood what it was like to feel afraid. So in January 2019 the Marine Corps veteran rang in the new year with a new best friend.
From that day forward Kris Kringle would be known as Scrappy.
“…the best dog ever”
In some ways Jason and Scrappy are kindred spirits. Both endured fear and hardship. Both experienced loneliness. Both were in search of something – or someone – to make their worlds whole again.
In time, and with Jason’s loving care, the rescue dog gained much-needed confidence.
Once Scrappy understood that he was home for good his fear-based behaviors subsided. And an exuberant personality emerged.
To this day Scrappy has an irrepressible and infectious zest for life. It is one of the things that endears him to Jason most.
“My favorite thing about Scrappy is how loving he is,” the Marine veteran says. “The excitement he has every day about just about everything.”
Gone are the days when the rescue dog existed in a state of constant fear. With his inner self unleashed, Scrappy is nothing like the dog Jason met several years before.
And Jason is no longer grappling with the loneliness of life after the military. Too many veterans succumb to a sense of purposelessness. They long for the brotherhood they left behind, unable to recreate those relationships in their civilian lives.
Jason, however, is free of the loneliness that plagued him. Scrappy is free of fear and want.
“I can honestly says that Scrappy has been the best dog ever. He is always there waiting for me every day,” he shares. “All of my friends and family absolutely love him. He has definitely taken away the loneliness and emptiness in my life.”
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