Gary Mason joined the Army in August 2000. In 2013, he was transferred from Fort Lee, VA where he was attending the Army Logistics University, Captain Career Course to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center where he entered the Individual Outpatient Program. 

At Walter Reed, Gary looked for resources to help guide him on his personal journey of healing. He found inspiration in a writing group. During his first session, he heard pieces written by other combat veterans. Gary shared, “That sparked my interest in writing my own personal experiences down to help recover from abuses suffered while on active duty.”

Through reading and writing, Gary discovered his own voice and got involved with other service members suffering with military related PTSD-especially those affected by moral injuries.

In his words, “I valued the stories of other veterans. It helped me to see that I was not alone in my journey to heal and learn to trust those who wanted to offer assistance.”

Inspired to find a way to tell his story to others, he decided that archiving his experiences would be a great way to share with other service members or veterans. 

Today, Gary lives in Fort Mill, SC and continues to work with other veterans. “I have learned that the more I focus on serving others, my healing takes place. Seeing others overcome their pain, fears and pitfalls has become a great encouragement to me. I feel as if I can breathe again.”