Soldier On The Verge Of Ending Life Hears A Whisper From The Bushes That Changes His Life Forever

 It is quite unimaginable to think what all an army man goes through in his life. From staying away from his loved ones, to dealing with all kinds of difficult situations that he has to live in, no ordinary man can even think of being in such conditions.

And while keeping us safe, the soldiers themselves go through so much, that many times they struggle with mental peace. The state is so difficult, that they sometimes even think of, and end up taking their own lives. This is the story of one such soldier whose life is changed forever after the Iraq War.

Josh Marino

Young Josh Marino joined the US Army in 2001, and finally stepped on the path of fulfilling his dream of serving the country. After the Iraq War began in 2003, the world was disturbed. Marino was also deployed to Baghdad in 2007, and his life was going to change now.

The Iraq War

The Iraq War started in 2003 and continued for eight longs years, coming to an end only in 2011. The U.S. invaded Iraq because of Saddam Hussein’s threat of his weapons of mass destruction and his ties to terrorism. It was actually a war on terrorism itself.

Pittsburgh

Josh Marino had just taken a new house in the city of Pittsburgh and was only starting to make the place feel like home when he was called on duty and had to go to Iraq. But the army Sgt. was proud to be able to serve his country and felt no remorse in leaving his new house and the city. 

Tough Conditions

After Josh had been in Iraq for almost three months, he seemed to be going through a tough time. As a soldier, all army men are trained and prepared for the worst and they are taught to live in inhumane conditions, expecting life to never be easy. But some times, a few things take over your mind, without you even being aware of it. 

Accident

One night when Josh Marino was walking towards his base camp, there was a blast, and he was attacked. “All of a sudden, there was a massive explosion on the other side of the wall and showered me with rocks,” he recalled the sudden onslaught.

Shelter

Marino tried to find shelter as soon as he heard the blast, but it was too late. Before he could hide under the concrete bunker, he was hit by flying debris. Josh was injured and had to be taken to the hospital immediately. Thankfully, help arrived for him on time. 

Treatment

The medical diagnosis was run and Josh was declared healthy. The doctors said that he had just a few minor injuries like scratches here and there, but nothing more than that. All of his test reports were perfectly normal and he was declared to be physically fit. 

Improper

But even after the test results were positive, something seemed to be wrong. “In the Army, if you don’t look like you’re injured, there must not be anything wrong,” said Josh. And he could only hope if he could explain to someone what he really felt from within. 

Lucky One

Army Sgt. Josh Marino was one of the very few people who made it back home after the Iraq War. After serving his role and making his country proud, Josh came back to Fort Riley, an Army installation in Kansas, in May of 2008. And things started to take a turn for Josh.

Trying Hard

After coming back from the Iraq base camp, Josh came back to Kansas and was leading a normal life but something did not feel right. Going about with his day-to-day life did not feel the same anymore and no matter how hard he was trying, it was getting impossible for Josh to lead a happy life. 

Unseen Injuries

Josh had suffered multiple concussions and a traumatic brain injury after he was attacked in Iraq. The doctors gave their word that he was fine after that, but not everything can be seen in one go. Josh did look fine, but he was not. He and his mental stability had been conquered by the war.

Suffering

Even though Josh looked like he was perfect from the outside, he was really struggling from the inside. He had been suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Even though his brain did not have any visible injuries, he had been suffering from traumatic injuries on the inside. 

PTSD

It’s invisible, but it cannot be ignored. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is very common for soldiers, and it is a sad truth. It is nothing new for them. The gun-shots can be heard no more after the war is over, but the wound of PTSD is going to trouble the sufferers forever.

Unseen Pain

“A lot of us come home without realising we are bringing the war home with us,” told Josh. Pain, wounds and being scared are a part of the war. But what most people don’t know of and tend to ignore is the unheard scream of pain and help, after they are affected by the war. 

Worse

After Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, things were only getting worse in all aspects. The flashbacks did not let Josh sleep at night, and if by any chance he did get some sleep, the nightmares were getting scarier each night. Uncontrollable anxiety had taken over Josh. 

A Step Ahead

The effects of PTSD kept getting worse and worse. And the next problem that Josh faced was memory loss. He kept forgetting things, and that irritated him further. He was unable to concentrate or focus on anything. And then, he made a big decision…

Aloof

Josh decided that he would live all alone, away from everyone he knew. “I was waking up and going to sleep with headaches, it really tests your mental peace when nobody believes you. It gets to the point where it felt like no one understands”, he added.

Misunderstood

Josh had a constant feeling that nobody was understanding him and therefore he went away. He hardly talked to the people he knew and decided that he wanted to fight against his problems all by himself. But things were just getting tougher and tougher. 

Nobody To Care

Because of PTSD and anxiety, Josh started to feel like nobody understood him and so he would be better off alone. And when this feeling of being alone turned into something more severe, Josh never came to know. He had made up his mind that he did not want to live anymore.

Quitting

“I didn’t want to deal with it anymore”, said a broken Josh. Yes, he decided to take his own life. He was unaware that it was not going to solve anything. But that is all that he could think of, and it seemed like he had made up his mind. Nothing was going to alter his decision anymore. 

Goodbye

Marino made up his mind of leaving everyone and everything behind and going away forever. He opened up his laptop immediately and started typing his last letter to his family and relatives to say them all goodbye. And he made it clear in his note that he did not want to be a part of this world anymore. 

Last Time

John picked up a knife, a cigarette and a lighter and stepped outside his house. He was depressed and hardly knew what he was going to do. All he did was stood in his lawn and lit his cigarette. Josh was ready to end his life, but then…

Unexpected

After Josh finished his cigarette, he held the knife tightly and took a long deep breath. And suddenly he heard a faded voice from the bushes. At first, he thought he was hallucinating, but then he saw the bushes move and knew something was going on. 

Checked

After he heard the voice, all thoughts of what evil Josh was going to do faded from his mind. He forgot what he was up to and started looking to see where the voice came from. And suddenly he felt something touched his feet. 

Positive Vibes

Within seconds, Josh went from being in despair to being joyful. He had suddenly forgotten all the sorrows and his eyes shone with the brightest of hopes. And all the wrong things that had filled his mind were now gone and he could only express gratitude for what he had just found. 

The Gift

Peeping out from the bushes was a black and white kitten. It was like an angel that had been sent by God, since it saved Josh from taking his life. It was a stray cat and had suddenly become most important to Josh. Everything changed in a fraction of seconds. 

Touched

“He just walked up and started rubbing up against my leg and let me pet him, I broke down crying, burst into tears”, told Josh. He was deeply touched. The kitten had really been a life savior for Josh and he could not understand how to thank it for what it had done. 

Close Connection

The kitten made Josh feel like someone did understand him and cared about him. All his negative thoughts vanished and he felt loved. “I thought, ‘Someone did care.’ Something with a warm heart and soft fur came up to lend a hand, and it really did help.” 

Special

The little kitten made Josh feel really special. It felt like someone was concerned about him and wanted to be around him. The Sgt had started enjoying life again, all credits to the kitten. After all, he had found a companion during the most difficult phase of his life. 

Savior

Josh felt that the little kitten really wanted to be around him and he broke down. He realized what he was about to do by ending his own life and he could not believe himself. A  kitten made him realize what he was going to do and he could never be thankful to it for saving his life. 

Partner

Days passed and Josh enjoyed the company of the kitten. He would open and keep a can of tuna for the kitten every day and would see it come and visit Josh every day. And that is when Josh made a decision he should have made sooner. 

Adoption

The army soldier decided to adopt the kitten and have the little cat live with him forever. The kitten and Josh were both attached to each other since even the kitten would come to visit Josh every day, without any fail. And now it was time to make their relationship last forever. 

Different Than Others

Josh knew that this particular kitten was different from others and really cared about him. He had seen him come and jump into his lap while other cats would only come over to his place for the can of tuna. But for this little one, Josh was more important than the can of tuna that was offered to it every day. 

Back To Normal

Josh had found a reason to live again. He named the little cat Scout, and they connected instantly. “It was a complete 180, He restored something in me that was lost”, said Josh. He had been more than excited about learning something new each day about Scout and spending time with him. 

Best Companion

“I stopped thinking about all my problems, and started thinking about all his problems, and what I could do to help him,” said Josh. He started to have a positive outlook at life and had begun to meet and talk to people. Everything was getting back to normal now. 

Back Home

After Josh felt all rejuvenated, he returned to his house in Pittsburgh and took Scout with him. No doubt that the love of Scout helped Josh fight depression. Scout had such a positive impact on Josh that he started to feel comfortable around people and he was ready to take the next big step of his life. 

New Beginning

Scout made Josh so happy and positive that the soldier decided he would propose his then-girlfriend Becky. Becky knew Josh since a long time and she had been waiting for the moment. She said yes to the proposal instantly, and the two got married. Life could not have been more beautiful for Josh now who a few days earlier was ready to end his life. 

Grateful

“If it wasn’t for Scout I wouldn’t be around,” stated a new Josh. “If It wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t even have started up a conversation with my wife.” It was unimaginable to even start to think about how much of a positive impact the little cat had on Josh and his life. 

Direction

Scout gave Josh a direction to be on the right path. And the little cat promised Scout to walk along with him and did not leave him during his difficult time. Josh owed his new life to Scout. The cat gave him the kind of love Josh never thought he deserved because he was suffering from PTSD and felt lonely all the time. 

Bond

The bond that Josh and Scout shared had no word to define it. It was the most powerful bond a human and an animal could share, and Scout was able to change all the negative thoughts that Josh had in his mind. It was just magical. 

An Angel

Scout was an angel sent by God to save Josh’s life. The soldier had fought for his country and he did not deserve to leave the world just like that. Josh made it, fought his own negative thoughts, and started a new life. But unfortunately, Scout couldn’t…

Gone Forever

Scout could not be around Josh for a very long time. He fought hard but could not anymore, and ultimately succumbed to Leukemia. But the little one taught Josh how to live and saved his life, because of which Josh will never be able to forget the beautiful animal.