Buf woke up in the back of a Jeep Grand Cherokee in January of 2009 in Western NC. The problem was when he went to sleep, the night before, he was in a Ford Ranger and it was November 1994. This began a long journey for Buf. He found out from a friend in Denver that he had actually rejoined the Navy in 2000 and was currently stationed in Camp Lejeune, NC. Buf returned to Camp Lejeune and was taken to the Naval Hospital where he met several “new to him” friends that had known him for several years. This was the start of his very confusing journey. After meeting with a Navy Psychiatrist they figured out that there had been a “Perfect Storm” of events that left Buf with a 14 year memory gap. Due to untreated PTSD, TBI from 2 IED strikes and a pending divorce Buf’s mind had reached a breaking point and left him with what is called Dissociative Amnesia. Included in this lost time was an ex wife that he didn’t even remember ever meeting, his 3 daughters and an ex girlfriend that he didn’t remember that he had a son with. He also did not remember the three combat tours with the US Marines in Iraq. Buf became very guarded, anxious and afraid of the world. He would only go to the store in the middle of the night, usually a gas station, to purchase food and supplies.
Buf accredits SALLY, his first Service Dog, with giving him his life back. Now, working with his second Service Dog, WALKER, Buf continues to grow his relationship with his family and daughter.
