Camp for Kids Coping With Parents at War

SAN ANTONIO, May 22, 2008 — -- On Saturday, 6-year-old Hunter Morgan went to camp for the very first time.

But this was no typical summer camp. Hunter spent the day at Camp Cope in San Antonio, a day camp specifically designed for children of deployed, injured and fallen service members.

More than 1.5 million troops have deployed in the last five years, meaning that as many as 700,000 children in this country have at least one parent deployed. And, according to the Department of Defense, there are at least 12,000 children with an injured parent. While their parents have been recognized for their service, these children are also veterans -- they each bear the wounds of war.

Hunter's father, Scott, was wounded in Taji, Iraq, in 2004, just two days before he was scheduled to return home. A mortar landed five feet in front of him, throwing him against a wall and shattering the femur bones in his legs.

"One minute I was standing there and I blinked my eyes and -- boom, bam -- I woke up and I was on the ground," Scott said.

Scott now has a titanium rod and plate in his legs, and difficulty walking. In addition to the damage to his legs, the explosion rattled his brain, leaving him with traumatic brain injury and memory loss. He also suffers from severe post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, and says he has even contemplated suicide.

"I feel like I left a part of me over there that can't be replaced," he said. "Now I get angry a lot, a lot more than normal."

Scott's wife, Melanie, can see the change in her husband's eyes. "He's not what he used to be," she said tearfully. "He's been hurt for four years, we've been together 10, and he's completely different. The anger is extreme and I've never had to deal with that."

Scott's injuries have left him with day-to-day physical difficulties that cause Hunter extreme anxiety. One day, when Melanie was out of the house, Scott fell down in the backyard and could not get up because he has very limited movement in his legs. This was traumatic for Hunter, who is so fearful that he is afraid to leave his father's side because he believes that something will happen to his dad.