Local veteran shares story about alcohol addiction

     Philip Weirather of Olin is lucky to be alive today. He served two tours of duty in the Army National Guard as a medic in Iraq and Afghanistan. He tried his hand at college a few times; it didn’t take. He enjoyed life, but perhaps a little too much.

     One New Year’s Eve night, Dec. 31, 2014, Weirather was drunk behind the wheel of his pickup truck heading from Jones County to Cedar Rapids. Somewhere along County Road E-45, he veered off the road and rolled about 100 yards. He remained in his truck for up to an hour before anyone located him, in negative four degree-weather.

     If Weirather hadn’t suffered so many life-altering injuries that night, this incident would have been his third OWI. He broke his C4 and C5 vertebrae in his neck, shattered his left hand, fractured his skull, and was in a coma for four weeks.

     On Dec. 29, almost two years after his accident, Weirather shared his story with a room full of attendees at the Olin library.

     “In regards to my accident,” started Weirather, “they say go big or go home. Well I definitely didn’t go home.”

     Recalling his time in the service, Weirather was in Iraq from August 2007 through the end of April 2008. Before deploying, he spent time at Camp Shelby, Miss.

     Before leaving Weirather said he felt like he had a free pass before going overseas. The Saturday before leaving for Mississippi he had his second OWI.

     “I had two OWIs before I could legally drink,” said Weirather. “I had a problem but I didn’t think that I did.”

     Once in Iraq, he had just one month to go before returning home when his camp was pummeled by rockets and mortar packed with shrapnel. As the medic, Weirather had to attend to those injured while still protecting himself.

     “I survived, thankful I hadn’t been wounded.”

     Back home in Iowa from April 2008 through late-July 2010, Weirather worked construction and attempted his third try at college at Kirkwood.

     But in October 2009, he got call saying he would be deployed to Afghanistan.

     “When the army needs you they need you. It’s not up for debate,” he said.

     The nine months prior to this deployment, Weirather drank and drank.

     “I drank because needed to,” he said. “I knew my time in America was coming to a temporary end. Why not?”

     From November 2010 through July 2011, Weirather was assigned to various units needing a medic on hand. In mid-June, he was serving with a company of engineers on a route-clearing mission when they were attacked.

     “June 12, 2011 is a day I will never forget,” said. Weirather.

     He said they were making their way through a small village with eight vehicles in the convoy when one of the trucks was hit with an IED (improvised explosive device). As the medic on duty, Weirather ran to the truck that was hit to care for the soldiers.

     “We were lucky the two soldiers in the truck survived with minor injuries. A sigh of relief came over me.”

     In July 2011, Weirather was home again and started developing a yearlong addiction to Spice, which is synthetic marijuana. He said Spice was more important than eating.

     Fast forward to New Year’s Eve 2014. Weirather was out celebrating the upcoming marriage of his sister. They took a party bus to several bars in Jones County, stopping for the night at Greg’s Pitstop in Olin. From there, Weirather thought he was with it enough to drive to Cedar Rapids. However, he only made it a couple of miles before he rolled his truck.

     “I don’t remember my accident,” he said. “I want to, but I’m glad I can’t.”

     He was taken to the University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City, then on to the Iowa City veterans hospital, and finally to the Minneapolis veterans hospital for an extended period of time.

     Throughout all of his surgeries and rehabilitation, Weirather continued to drink. He said seeing the 47 staples in his skull was enough to wake him up. He is proud, though, to say that his last drink of alcohol was Aug. 22, 2015.

     While Weirather could have gone to jail for his third OWI, he said his accident was a rude awakening.

     Now, he shares his message not to discourage people from drinking, but to evaluate one’s self in the process and adjust if need-be.

     “Me being drunk is why I am here to begin with,” said Weirather. “My addiction to alcohol, is why I got in that accident that night.”

    Today, Weirather is taking psychology classes on through Argosy University. He has maintained a 3.6 GPA.