ORONO, Maine — The path traveled by U.S. Marine Andrew Bement took him into harm’s way numerous times during his 12 years in uniform and three overseas deployments, and the combat left him with concussions and deep, hidden scars later diagnosed as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression.
The Orono resident retired from the Marines for medical reasons in March and for the last 10 weeks has been on a new path to find himself and a fulfilling post-military future. Little did he know he would cross paths with royalty.
As part of his quest, he joined the Walking With The Wounded team, a group of six injured veterans who recently went on a 72-day expedition through Great Britain together, accompanied at points by Prince Harry.
“He was surprisingly very down to earth,” Bement said of the second son of Princess Diana and Charles, Prince of Wales. “He served in the military as well, and he served two tours. He really cares about the veterans. There are so many other things he could be caring about, but he cares about the vets.”
Prince Harry, who served two tours in Afghanistan, was patron of the expedition and walked part of the 1,000-mile trek with the group and met them at Buckingham Palace at the end of their journey. The Walk of Britain began on Aug. 22 in Scotland and ended on Nov. 1 in London.
Bement flew to England with fellow Marine veteran Kirsty Ennis, a helicopter door gunner who was wounded in a crash in Afghanistan three years ago, and took part in the journey with four British ex-servicemen with various injuries.
“There are a lot of people who get out of the military and don’t make the transition smoothly, whether it’s because they are physically or emotionally damaged or socially disadvantaged,” Bement said Thursday, sitting in his living room shortly after returning from England. “They struggle, and there are people who need help.”
Those veterans have more help available nowadays, thanks in part because of groups such as his sponsor for the British walk, the Bob Woodruff Foundation, which was started by journalist Bob Woodruff and his wife, Lee, after the couple “found themselves facing similar challenges to injured service members during Bob’s recovery from injuries sustained by a roadside bomb while covering the war in Iraq for ABC News,” a news release states.
The Woodruffs, along with New York Comedy Festival founders Caroline Hirsch and Andrew Fox, started Stand Up for Heroes, a tribute to injured veterans scheduled Tuesday at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. Bement, who is one of 100 veterans from across the country invited to attend, said because of his PTSD and the expected huge crowds, he probably will not attend. The Bob Woodruff Foundation has raised more than $27 million since 2006.
“Despite their wounds, veterans are returning home looking for their next challenge, to make a true difference in their communities — sometimes, they just need a helping hand — and events like Stand Up for Heroes help us do that,” Bob Woodruff said in the statement.
“All the charities are attempted to help us get us back on our feet,” Bement said, referring to all veterans. “The U.K. one was focused on employment. That is what they feel will best help their veterans.”
The Walk of Britain was held to support veterans with physical, mental or social injuries develop new careers outside the military, to re-integrate into society and, in turn, provide long-term security for themselves and their families, he said.
“What we want to do is live a normal life,” said Bement, who served two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan and retired with the rank of captain.
Bement was born in Phoenix, Arizona, but grew up in Reading, Pennsylvania, and joined the military at age 19. He was an infantry assaultman with the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines for two combat deployments to Iraq, serving in both the First Battle of Fallujah in 2004 and Operation Steel Curtain/Iron Fist in 2005 along the Syrian border.
He started having symptoms of PTSD after his first trip into harm’s way.
“After my first deployment I started drinking heavy and going out,” Bement recalled. “I never really drank before. I was looking for some sort of fix. I was looking for a rush and at the same time was looking for a fix. It snowballed from there.”
After his second deployment he was accepted into the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program and enrolled at the University of Maine, where he met his wife, Dana, and was commissioned in May 2011. His third deployment was with the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines to Afghanistan in 2012 where he served as an Infantry Platoon Commander.
It was during his third deployment that the PTSD got so bad Bement was having sleepless nights, irritability and panic attacks. Doctors back home discovered concussions from his job as an assaultman, which involves firing rockets and demolishing obstacles, that resulted in traumatic brain injuries that led to memory loss, confusion and other cognitive issues, he said.
Bement said he was afraid to tell his superiors but eventually was unable to do his job, which led to his diagnosis. The path was scary at times, especially when dealing with suicidal tendencies, a side effect of his PTSD and depression. He said his message to others battling PTSD is to reach out for services, to ask for help.
“Nothing is so difficult or tough that it’s worth taking your own life,” Bement said. “If anyone out there is struggling with that, it’s worth reaching out to another veteran, a vet center or going to the hospital. It doesn’t feel good at the time but in the long run it’s worth it. It’s worth it.”