The Marlboro Marine

This is the photo that made Marine Lance Cpl. James Blake Miller -- the "Marlboro Marine" -- famous.


This is part of the story the photographer wrote about how a photo blurred their lives together.

He returned to Camp Lejeune, N.C. His high school sweetheart, Jessica Holbrooks, joined him there, and they were married in a civil ceremony.

Then came the nightmares and hallucinations. He imagined shadowy figures outside the windows. Faces of the dead haunted his sleep.

Once, while cleaning a shotgun, he blacked out. He regained consciousness when Jessica screamed out his name. Snapping back to reality, he realized he was pointing the gun at her.

He reported the problems to superiors, who promised to get him help.

Then came a single violent episode, which put an end to his days as a Marine.

Blake is on a mission to get Congress' help with his PTSD. Give it a read, there's more to it than you could imagine.