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Dog helps a Marine see himself


UNION-TRIBUNE
June 26, 2008
When Marine Lt. Col. Jay Kopelman brought a stray mutt back to the United States from Iraq, he didn't realize their journey together had just begun.
He soon learned they both were suffering from combat stress.
The 5-week-old puppy, “Lava,” was rescued from an empty 50-gallon oil drum during a standoff with enemy snipers. Just as the dog gave comfort to the U.S. troops who fed and sheltered him in Fallujah, he gave Kopelman insight into mood swings that haunted him after returning home to La Jolla and retiring from the Marine Corps.
Kopelman chronicled Lava's journey to the United States in 2005 in his book, “From Baghdad, With Love,” which sold more than 300,000 copies.
But there is more to the story. He writes about their healing together in his just-published sequel, “From Baghdad to America: Life Lessons from a Dog Named Lava.”
After the dog survived the ravages of war, Kopelman almost lost Lava when his skittishness propelled him away from a noise and into the path of an approaching Land Rover on a road in Rancho Santa Fe. Lava survived, but was diagnosed with some classic symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. He was easily startled, hyper-reactive, hyperactive, moody, depressed and aggressive with little provocation.
As he explored treatment for Lava, Kopelman discovered that he also had symptoms of post-traumatic stress. “I was a typical Marine. I didn't need help. We Marines helped other people.” But as Kopelman did research for his book, he realized that he, too, had to get therapy – especially for anger management. It's all led to his newest project – starting a foundation to benefit veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.

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"Sweat dries, blood clots, bones heal. Suck it up. Be a Marine"