On July Fourth in 1776, America declared its independence and the country has been celebrating the holiday ever since.

Fireworks have become synonymous with the summer time celebration, where loud and colorful explosions fill the sky in every town to delight citizens of the U.S. However for the country's military veterans, the sulfur and silver alchemy can become a trigger for traumatic memories caused by time spent engaged in combat.Vice president of Phantom Fireworks, William Weimer began a small letter-writing campaign to draw attention to the issue. After speaking with licensed clinical mental health counselor Chelsey Zoldan, Weimer said he was educated on "the potential for some veterans to be reminded of combat situations when they hear the loud sounds of gunfire and fireworks.""Vets aren't necessarily scared of or by the noises, but the unexpectedness can trigger unwanted symptoms and distress," he said."For Vets with(post-traumatic stress disorder) it's really the shock of hearing the noise."According to Weimer, Phantom is one of the largest importer/distributors of fireworks in the county and has seen an increase in sales for the Fourth."This time of year we celebrate our country with fireworks. But this holiday is not the time to upset the very people we are celebrating."Weimer offers a simple solution. Get to know your neighborhood."It's a really easy issue to address. It just takes a couple of minutes to knock on a neighbor's door and let them know you'll be using fireworks. It's so easy to show common courtesy to neighbors," he said."Some warning gives them the opportunity to avoid the problem. It's notice for the vets that's most important. As long as they know about the bangs and whistles, they can prepare themselves, it's the surprise that is the worst part."Henry Desrosiers, director of Carbon County Veterans Affairs and a former Air Force sergeant, agrees with Weimer, saying it's the memories that are brought on by the bangs and whistles that cause the distress."In regard to traumatic brain injuries and PTSD in combat vets, it's the explosion sounds that brings back memories that are very disturbing. Even I jump once in a while from being in combat zone," Desrosiers said."I wouldn't say it's traumatizing, but it does bring back memories. I've seen vets fall to the ground to take cover. That's the instinct and that's how they were trained. Sometimes the only place to go is to hug the ground."Desrosiers advises to take the time to let your neighbors know about backyard celebrations."Take into consideration who your neighbors are and show a little bit of respect. You don't want a vet to be startled. Think about who your neighbors are first."Mark Baylis is a retired United States Army sergeant major and was injured in Iraq in 2003. Baylis co-founded the Valor Clinic based in Brodheadsville and explains the startle response for combat veterans can be severe."There is a local vet I know who worked a checkpoint in Baghdad. It became a target for the resistance. They used dump trucks with explosives in the back and drove them to the checkpoint. They set if off before the checkpoint. They did it twice. So in a case like this the startle effect is very significant. It's real and completely understandable," Baylis said.During his work with the Valor Clinic, Baylis met a veteran who suffered from a severe startle response. Baylis retold his story to shed light on where such a response can stem from."He watched his best friend blown up in a car. He said he was looking at the face of his best friend and it was like a meat puzzle he didn't know how to put back together. That burns in people's minds and stays with them."While he understands the very real condition, Baylis says he sees the other side of the double-edge firework sword."It's hard to get past these experiences, but you can no more deny people their right to celebrate their independence either. My hats off to vets who suffer and I also applauded the right for people to celebrate. It's a tough issue," Baylis said."Fireworks and Independence Day are inseparable. The fireworks represent the 'bombs bursting in air.' They are symbolic of the fighting. I'm torn because it's everything we fought for and how we celebrate what we fought for."