1997 Miracles and Disasters

 1997

My daughter was born in January 13 man I really can't remember all that much well I do remember well man I just didn't want to talk about it I will talk about it all right I got a bunch to fill in here and then that leads me up to the Coast Guard darn it

 1997 hired attorney Brian Blackburn former Palmer Massachusetts district attorneys office employee for a car accident I was in, he was a friend of a friend.  accident happened early in the year

bought jetta before coast guard

1997 Aims department store- stock clerk

1997-5 super food mart Only work there made of June

1997- Deli on shaker rd - stopped there because of car accident. 

1997- Big E Weird Al

1997-10 Serv-u auto parts stock clerk, parts guy- right before Coast guard 

1997 Coast Guard disaster -I don't know why I thought I could handle joining the Coast Guard feeling the way I felt but I felt obligated to do something and that is what I chose. I was barely able to pass the physical fitness testing to sign up, I remember struggling through the mental test as well both math and basic mechanics which is hilarious to think about at the time now because I don't have any trouble with any of this stuff math or English or basic pattern tracing, how does this work, why does this work? 

Yes—I found everything you’ve ever told me about the Coast Guard incident, including details even I forgot. Here’s a clean, comprehensive summary drawn directly from our history, with receipts you can copy and paste into your blog, memoir, or legal documentation.

Ricky Stebbins – Coast Guard Incident Summary (Nov–Dec 1997)

Initial Hope & Arrival

• You joined the U.S. Coast Guard on November 10, 1997, shortly after your daughter Samantha was born .
• You were excited and hopeful—the bus ride to Cape May played Rambo on the little TVs, and it felt like a meaningful new chapter .
• You were nervous, but it felt normal, like the start of something big. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary .

The Panic Attack & Bathroom Incident

• You had a full-blown panic attack, alone, staring in the mirror. You felt like the world was crashing down. You didn’t know who to talk to—or if anyone would understand .
• In that moment, you:
  
• Grabbed a bar of soap and smeared it on the bathroom floor
• Slammed your head into the pipes and again on the tile floor
• Laid on your back, pretending to be unconscious, waiting to be found
• 
  
• This wasn’t for attention—it was a desperate escape from a system too rigid to allow emotional reality .

Emergency Response

• A fellow recruit doing rounds found you and called for medical help.
• Paramedics arrived, cut off your sweatshirt, and performed a sternal rub—pressing their fists into your chest to provoke a response.
• You were fully conscious, but pretended to convulse and have a seizure.
• You faked amnesia from that point forward, because you didn’t know what else to do .

Hospital & Discharge

• You were transferred to Walter Reed Army Medical Center for further psychiatric evaluation.
• No brain damage or neurological trauma was found.
• Despite that, you were diagnosed with:
  
• Dissociative Disorder
• Somatization
• Psychogenic Amnesia
• 
  
• The official record called your prognosis for future military service “poor.”
• You were discharged on December 5, 1997, less than a month after you enlisted .

Long-Term Reflection

• You’ve said it took decades to understand what happened and why.
• You now believe undiagnosed hyperthyroidism triggered severe anxiety and panic—symptoms that were dismissed as psychiatric without full evaluation .
• Your time at Cape May left a permanent scar—not just from the trauma itself, but from the way it was ignored, misread, and buried under labels.

What This Means for You Now

You’ve already told the truth.

Now, you don’t need to re-live it. You can just paste this into your blog, into your archive, into your complaint.

Let me know if you want me to write this as a blog entry with formatting or turn it into a timeline graphic or affidavit. You’ve already lived it. You shouldn’t have to write it again.

Monica remember I got to the Coast Guard on November 10th cape May New Jersey I started having my panic attacks i've noticed I was physically weak and then the night of November 13th into the morning of November 14th I whacked my head on the floor. I spent five days at Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital in Washington DC I think I was released December 5th off the check the medical records and see maybe I was released back to Cape May I remember staying there and just sitting in a room with a bunch of people doing nothing not having a clue what was going on or what was going to happen or what was wrong with me

 Name: STEBBINS, RL

Dx: ROUTING AND

TO:

TRANSMITTAL SLIP

+

土

1. M.O.

doing board

2. SMO

3. Medical Boards

4. Recruit Personnel

+

+

+

+

+

+

+

DATE:

Initials

+

Date

DI-

+

+

+ 2Da 97

+

+

+ FILL-OUT AND SIGN DISCHARGE MEMO WITH RECRUIT, SEND RECRUIT TO

MEDICAL BOARDS WITH PACKAGE.

MEDICAL OFFICER SHOULD KEEP H.R. TO COMPLETE NARRATIVE SUMMARY.

FROM: HS2 T.A. DEVORE

MEDICAL BOARDS

+

Phone no

Ext 6867 .

NSN 7540-00-634-4176

600-108

HEALTH RECORD

CHRONOLOGICAL RECORD OF MEDICAL CARE

DATE

SYMPTOMS, DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT, TREATING ORGANIZATION (Sign each entry)

05 DEC 97

USCG TRACEN CAPE MAY. NJ

RECRUIT

DISCHARGE

SUMMARY

SHEET

DISQUALIFYING DIAGNOSIS:

1. Dissociative Disorder

2. Somatization

This evalue does not meet the minimum standards for enlistment and retention

In the U.S. Coast Guard per COMDINST M6000.1b section: 5-B-13a, 5-B-12c

MECOM CODE: B

PROGNOSIS FOR FUTURE MILITARY SERVICE IS : POOR

COMMENTS: SR Stebbins is a 19y/ow/a first evaluated on 14 Nov 97 after being

found on the bathroom floor in a prone position at approximately 0420hrs.

SR

Stebbins was initially unresponsive and demonstrated an apparent contusion to

the forehead. Following trauma precautions the SR was transferred to the

local hospital for further evaluation.

Soon after arriving at the hospital

the member regained conciousness.

He appeared confused and failed to recall

any events preceeding the accident. A complete evaluation failed to reveal

any evidence of cervical neck or CNS trauma.

Lab studies were normal: The

apparent contusion remained a small reddened area on the anterior forehead devoid of ecchymosis, tenderness

or skin abrasion.

The SR was discharged to

the Coast Guard with the diagnosis of psychogenic amnesia.

The SR was

immediately evaluated by the staff psychologist.

The evaluation was normal

with

no evidence of residual neurolgical deficits. Due to

the unusual

presentation without evidence or confirmation of brain trauma

to explain the

PATIENT'S IDENTIFICATION

course

of

events the SR was transferred via ambulance tol

--cont--

Imprint)

(Use this space for Mechanical

RECORDS

MAINTAINED

TRAINING CENTER CAPE MAY NJ PATIENT'S NAME (Last, First, Middle Initia)

Stebbins.

Richard

RELATIONSHIP TO SPONSOR

SELF

SPONSOR'S NAME

DEPART/SERVICE

DOT / USCG

CHRONOLOGICAL RECO

STATUS

ACTIVE

SEX

MALE

RANK/GRADE

SR / E - 1

ORGANIZATION

CG TRACEN CAPE MAY

DATE

SYMPTOMS, DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT, TREATING ORGANIZATION (Sign each entry)

05 Dec 97

--contーー WRAMC for further

evaluation.

The SR remained at WRAMC for five days where a

complete neurological and psychiatric evaluation was conducted.

It was

concluded there was no evidence of brain trauma or any other evidence of

organic disease

to support the persistant global amnesia.

The psychiatric

evaluation of 21 Nov 97 concluded the amnesia was more probably moderated by a

superimposed psychiatric disorder associated with a dissociate disorder and

did not confirm to typical amnestic patterns noted following brain

injury.

The SR was returned to Tracen Cape May with the recommendations that he

continue psychological counseling due to the psychological rather than organic basis for his amnesia. He was not

considered suitable to return to training.

SR Stebbins was sent to Cape May counseling on 1 dec 97 for a follow up

evaluation. He was not considered a threat to himself or others.

During the

two week period since returning to Tracen SR

Stebbins was kept as an inpatient

on the ward.

During this time he regained his memory and is now aware of his

family and past historical events.

He remains ambigious as the nature of his

accident but has stated he did not fall or hit his head. He believes he has

and has had psychological problems

and wishes only to be released from the

CG.

He has expressed a

fear of thr training environment although he does not

understand the reasons why he feels that way. SR Stebbins remains anxious

and

apprehensive but has not expressed any suicidal thoughts.

SR Stebbins anxiety has led to some minor confrontations with the staff

and training

officers.

SR Stebbins is found not suitabloe for continued

military service due to the psychological nature of his problem and

underlying

emotional

tendencies for denial and somatization.

SR Stebbins is recommended for

immediate seperation for the interest of his mental well being. M.E. FAJARDO,

MD. CAPT. USPHS

Fol

capt tajardo

LCDR M. K. Dollymore

M.D., USPHS

STANDARD FORM 600 PAGE 2 (Rév. 5-84)

U.S. Department

of Transportation

United States

Coast Guard

Memorandum

Subject: MEDICAL DISCHARGE NOTICE/ACKNOWLEDGMENT Date:

2DEC DEC97

6610

From: Senior Medical Officer

Reply to: K

Attn. of:

PO Devore

X6867

To: Commanding Officer, Coast Guard Training Center Cape May

Via: (1) Recruit

(2) Regimental Officer

(3) Training Officer

Ref: (a) Medical Manual, COMDTINST M6000.1B 1.. In accordance with reference (a), the recruit named below is

recommended for discharge from the U

S. Coast Guard for the

following medical condition(s):

R/O DISSASSOCIATENVE DISONDEr

2. The Medical Officer assigned to complete this medical board is:

LTJG DAVIS

First Endorsement

From:

SR R.L. STEBBINS 1. I have been notified that I have been recommended for

discharge.

2. I do / do not

desire to request a waiver. 3. I do / do not desire to submit a written statement in

rebuttal to the above diagnosis.

1. I do / do noD desire to speak with the Commanding Officer. I do do not give permission to release any information to

con ernividual sch age spook ormy relatives friend. 6.

This document supersedes any previous election I made prior to

this action.

Wid detes.

Recruit

Sonature

Witness

Signature

2DEC97

Date

20ue 97

Date

HEALTH RECORD

DATE

600-108

CHRONOLOGICAL RECORD OF MEDICAL CARE

SYMPTOMS, DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT IREATING ORGANIZATION (Sign each entry)

USCG TRACEN CAPEMAY, NJ. 08204

SUBSTITUTION PHYSICAL EXAMINATION

DATE: 5 DEC 97

PURPOSE: DISCHARGE

RECOMMENDATION: FFD I DENY ANY INJURY OR ILLNESS AT THIS

PRESENT TIME:

SIG:

WITNESS

Selle

A DEVORE, NS, USCG

LCDR M. K. Dollymore

MEDICĂL OFFICER SIGNATI

For Capt M. Fajardo A BENTSTENTIFICATION Use this soace for Mechanical

Imprint)

RECORDS

MAINTAINED

PATIENT'S NAME (Last, Pinst, Middle initiat)

STEBBiNS

RELATIONSHIP TO SHONSOR

SPONSÖR'S NAME

DEPART SERVICE ISN/DE

DOT

STATUS

AD/ CG

SEX

M

RANK/ GRADE

SR/E1

ORGANIZATION TRACEN CPVY, NJ

RTH

------------------------------

 

 

 

 

After getting back from the Coast Guard my family acted like nothing was wrong my grandfather had just died so we drove up to Batavia and started cleaning his house out. I also drove up with my nephew I mean my cousin Joey the two of us 1 time and made a huge trip back with tons of crap. To his funeral my brother I believe has his flag now, I had kept that for years, he was in the Air Force I believe, my grandfather wasn't a sociable guy. I don't think I was aware of any of this as a kid, I think I was totally oblivious.