Almost nailed the neighbor last night

[moopups]

Neighbor 'J' approached silently, I did not know of his presence until he was a silhouette at my screened porch door. This was in full darkness, about 8:30 or 9:00. My fingers became rather attracted to the pistol attached under this desk, there were milliseconds left before he spoke.

The pistol would not have been pulled and a command given to 'halt.' The pistol would have been pulled and fanned. He now knows better than to approach unannounced by sound, light, a fake cough, whatever. This is PTSD world, there is no shutting it off.

All please be aware that the combat veterans in your proximity are possibly PTSD, approach only with the proper preparations.

[michiganfarmer]

I dont approach anyone, or any house quietly just for that exact reason.

[Jillis]

My dh has no PTSD, nor is he a veteran.

One night my father snuck in the front door and was tiptoeing silently into the living room to say "Boo!" to the kids who were watching a video.

DH was up and out of the chair and almost had him down before realizing his error and almost doing a backflip to avoid crashing his elderly FIL to the ground. It took dh HOURS to calm down from the adrenlin rush. My dad never did that again!

Another time DH heard some kids in his landscape truck out front. I was on bedrest and sleeping on the couch. I was jolted out of my sleep by DH roaring out the window, "YOU'RE DEAD! YOU'RE DEAD!" He flashed past me, but those teens were gone. They left a trail of the items they had been trying to steal all down the street after them. That night it took ME several hours to calm down from the adrenalin rush.

Only 2 of many examples of DH's hypervigilance and instant ready for battle response.

Some of you guys just have that anyway.

[swampgirl]

Moonpups, it's not just the veterans that are like this. I keep a loaded 12 gauge shotgun by my door & have it in my hands when I open the door to a stanger. I have been robbed too many times. If I wake up in the night, I sometimes "make rounds" all around the house & out bldgs. with my shotgun. My house is set back a couple hundred yards from the road & most people blow their horn or holler before coming to my door. It's just rude to come too close too fast in today's world.

[Ardie/WI]

Originally Posted by michiganfarmer

I dont approach anyone, or any house quietly just for that exact reason.

That is called plain common sense!

[Explorer]

Ardie, common sense is not common anymore.

[WindowOrMirror]

Oh wow... this is not where I thought the post was going

[Pony]

Originally Posted by WindowOrMirror

Oh wow... this is not where I thought the post was going

Me, either. The title was... misleading.

Pony!

[Shadow]

We live at the end of the county road, nearest house is a half a mile throughthe woods and iits owner is in a nursing home. No other houses on our road other than ours. If a stranger comes to our door we are careful. Me and the wife are always armed. Even takeing a shower our personal weapon is hanging just our side of the shower door.
Of course with three large dogs we know when a vehicle starts down the last hill coming to the house, its a public road maintained by the county and we do get people turning around.
Its not PSTD its just common prepardness.

[Ardie/WI]

Originally Posted by Pony

Me, either. The title was... misleading.

Pony!

I know....I thought the same thing.

[Jan in CO]

I find it really sad that we've all had to become so cautious. Us included. Gone are the days of leaving your doors unlocked, allowing neighbors to come and use your vehicle, borrow things from your freezer, or have groceries delivered and put on you kitchen table when you aren't home. What does that say about our society? We all have to be careful. Jan in Co

[rufus]

I was talking to my new neighbor that moved in last spring and he said that he heard someone walking around just outside his window one night. He said he got up and had to check it out...through the window. Here he said it was my cows, my pasture fence is within 20 feet of his house. What suprised me is that I asked if he went outside with a gun and he said no. Glad I'm not that light a sleeper though, cows grazing don't make much noise and he woke up from that?

[danoon]

As I mentioned once before, we had three or four breakins on this street in Dec.
This is a dead end st. in the city with 18 houses on it. My next door neighbor is a police officer, three of us are nam vets and two are Iraq war vets. The house right behind me has a PO across the street and one on the corner 100 yards away. The Police Cheif lives a quarter mile up the street.

I figure if these crack heads or gang bangers are brave enough to hit this street then they must be crazy.. so I'm always prepared. The only thing that saved us is the PO next door and the 7 dogs [5 in the house and 2 in the yard].

It is sad its come to this.

[cc]

We live at the end of a dead end road that is not a county road (and is posted no trespassing) and for some reason we still have people pull up in our driveway. I always carry my pistol when I am outside if DH isn't home. I don't try and hide it, I want whoever pulls up to be aware they are on touchy ground!

[HermitJohn]

Originally Posted by WindowOrMirror

Oh wow... this is not where I thought the post was going

I was going to say "too much information".....

[Countrybumpkin]

It reminds me of the Army DI saying-"If you pull your weapon, intend to shoot, and when you intend to shoot, intend to kill."

[moopups]

The Army and the USMC's approach is vastly different, concerning the 'intend to kill' statement. It takes 4 enemy to quickly remove a wounded member of their association, it takes none to remove a dead one in the middle of a fire fight. It takes months and money to attend to the wounded, very much less for a dead one.

A wounded individual will carry that around for life, but will also instill the concept within their citizens that they tangled with the USMC, and didn't win. The application of perception.

[sleeps723]

texas is now trying to get rid of the flight rule when defending ones home and property now. i keep rifles n shotguns by front n back doors, couple in the sheds and i always carry a sidearm when im in the yard piddiling. no use layin in the morgue wishin ifida or shoulda.

[BeeFree]

This makes me think of a couple weeks ago. DH and DGS were outside working and I had my backdoor open and with just the storm door closed. I thought they were within house checking distance. I was in the bath room drying my hair.

Well DH comes in for a refreshment a bit later and he asks what the people in the white van were wanting? I said what white van? Apparently DH and DGS had been on the 4 wheeler in the field checking cows, and were within site of the house but not close enough to get here. He said these 2 people came up to the door and it looked as if they went in. I said well if they did, they must have discovered me drying my hair. I had heard nothing. He said they left and went on down the road. Apparently they were JW's. Now wither they came in or not, I have no idea. I told him from now on, the door would be locked and he better have his key.

Can you imagine my shock, if they had come in where I was drying my hair? I might have had a heart attack, or tried to kill them, which ever my mind hit at.

[Jenn]

Moo maybe they teach you to be better shots in the marines- we figured we had to shoot to (try to) kill to keep from being killed if it ever came to it (not me personally- Geneva COnvention noncombatant when AD).