Thank You for Your Service, David Waterhouse

SIMPSONVILLE, S.C. (WSPA) – “For some reason, the Army Rangers just that, that was, that was the apex of what I wanted to do,” veteran David Waterhouse told 7NEWS.

He said 9/11 solidified his decision to join the military.

“I felt helpless on that day and wanted to do whatever I could to contribute to what was going on,” said Waterhouse.

He said you could choose to have a Ranger contract at the time of enlistment.

“Which basically meant that as long as you passed boot camp and your, you know, your airborne school and everything, you would have an opportunity to try,” Waterhouse explained.

And that’s what he did.

“The physical part of it was difficult, for sure,” Waterhouse shared. “But the mental part of it was definitely the hardest part of it.”

Waterhouse said it was his stubbornness that kept his mind in the game.

“I wasn’t gonna go back home saying I didn’t have what it took,” he said. “Once I decided I was going to go, you could torture me until the end of time and I’m not going to quit because I’d have so much shame. I have a little bit too much pride sometimes.”

Waterhouse deployed six times overseas, to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Ramadi.

“A lot of patrolling, going, you know, kind of village to village. We did take some contact, which was my first like real experience with getting, you know, shot at and returning fire,” Waterhouse explained. “It was probably one of the most eye-opening experiences.”

Waterhouse said in those moments you had no option but to do your job.

“You could quit but you’re still in a gunfight, you’re still in the middle of Afghanistan,” Waterhouse said. “So it was just like, all right, let’s just make it to tomorrow. And that, that kind of mentality.”

Eventually, a mentality that jaded him.

“I didn’t care if I lived or died and that puts all your guys in jeopardy,” he shared. “The lack of like whatever, we’re all gonna die over here anyways, it doesn’t matter.”

And it was then that Waterhouse realized it was time to hang up his boots.

But that’s not where Waterhouse’s story ends.

He told 7NEWS the year leaving the military was probably the hardest year of his life.

“Because you’re alone and I didn’t realize it until years later what was bothering me about it,” he said.

Waterhouse was no longer fighting in wars, but the thoughts in his mind.

“In the military, you’re never alone. I mean, ever, and then all of a sudden you’re all by yourself in a world that you don’t understand anymore,” said Waterhouse.

Waterhouse is also 100% disabled.

“I have post-traumatic stress disorder. I have cervical issues. I have a traumatic brain injury. I have tinnitus which is ringing in the ears. I have my lower back L five S one is messed up,” Waterhouse said, recounting each injury. “Bilateral ankle, bilateral shin, right knee, strain right hip calcification. I’m, I’m pretty busted up.”

Those injuries were the aftermath of the many combat situations Waterhouse lived to re-tell.

“I got thrown over the hood of a car and landed on my face on one of them. It was a pretty big blast. We were, I don’t remember, I just remember waking up and running into the house because we had blown the breach and they had what they called a Daisy chain, IED, which is multiple explosive links together on both sides of the street,” he said.

Waterhouse said it was a combination of therapy at Upstate Warrior Solution and work that helped him start moving forward.

“I got a job at this, local company in Greenville, North American Rescue, which is veteran owned and there were some other rangers there and I kind of got discovered by them and, I went to work there,” Waterhouse explained. “And that in all honesty, probably saved my life, they gave me structure back that I didn’t have.”

Waterhouse said right now, he focuses on showing up for himself and his family.

“Being a husband being, the best dad I can be,” said Waterhouse.

And leaning on them and his friends when sometimes the thoughts become too loud.

“I talk to my friends honestly and I mean that,” he said. “Our phones are on 24 hours a day in case someone calls, ‘Hey, man, you having a tough night? Let’s talk about it.’ We’re gonna talk about it. And that’s, that’s been honestly, my best support network has just been having the ability to.”

And that’s what’s helping him keep in the present.

David Waterhouse, Thank You for Your Service.

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