Guide dog Vernon serving a tour of double duty for blind veteran with PTSD

It was the spring of 2008 and Aaron Cornelius was on his third combat tour in Iraq when his unit was ambushed. It was a coordinated attack to pin the American troops in a location where an improvised explosive device was waiting to be set off. It exploded with Cornelius standing virtually on top of it.

The blast destroyed the top of his skull, which was later rebuilt with titanium, and he was instantly blinded in the midst of the battle. Severely wounded and without sight, Cornelius fought on to try to save the lives of his men.

“We lost five boys to that IED,” Cornelius recalled. “They were trapped in the vehicle that caught fire and they died. Before that happened, I went to try and save a couple of my boys under fire and that’s when the IED was set off by cellphone. I never lost consciousness, though. I was instantly blinded, but I was still trying to shout out orders. I was on automatic and we were able to get everyone else to safety.”

It’s been a 10-year journey since that day in Iraq for the 18-year Army veteran. The journey led him to Southeastern Guide Dogs, where he graduated on Friday. Southeastern trains dogs for various services, but their two main programs are to provide free service dogs to the blind and for veterans with post traumatic stress disorder.

For a black lab named Vernon, his time with Cornelius will be a tour of double duty, addressing both of his owner’s needs.

“This place is tremendous,” Cornelius said. “I’ll be leaving after graduation, but they will continue to check on us and do follow-ups. They aren’t just cutting us loose and sending us out to pasture.”

It’s his first dog from Southeastern, but Cornelius also has an aging service dog by the name of Raider he received from another agency 10 years ago. A lot has happened in those 10 years, and Raider no longer is able to perform his duties due to hip problems. Cornelius had to resort back to his cane and rely on others for help — until now.

“I’ve known a few people who have come in and out of here and Southeastern is well known nationally and especially around here,” Cornelius said. “I was apprehensive at first, especially being totally blind and being somewhere I’m not comfortable with.

“When I get out of my comfort zone, the anxiety sets in. The first night was terrible, but these trainers, these people here, this facility, they just swoop you right up and take care of you.”

As soon as he met Vernon, the anxiety melted away.

“He’s the only reason I stuck it out,” he said. “With him being the biggest dog and me being the biggest guy in class, I met this big boy and we meshed instantly. We learned each other during the first week and it’s been wonderful ever since. I trust him completely to take me where I need to go and to put that cane down is a tremendous feeling. He’s shown me that he knows what to do and I’m ready to go to the beach or to the store again. I’m ready to be independent again.”

Cornelius spent more than two years after the explosion rehabbing in various hospitals. His wife picked up where her husband left off and took control of the household, their five daughters and her husband while he continued to recover. During his transition back to civilian life in Bradenton, his wife passed away in 2010.

“Raider was younger so things were starting to get better and I could do more things. Life was getting better, but unfortunately my wife died,” he said. “That put a damper on things and I went downhill trying to fill that gap with other things. But I raised five daughters, still have a wonderful youngster in the house and grand babies. I’m the only tough-looking guy in the neighborhood that knows how to braid hair.”

His sense of humor is larger than life and he refuses to let the terrible things life can do to people get in the way of the beautiful things life has to offer.

“When you’ve seen enough terrible stuff in the world, you appreciate everything, so you have to try and put a smile on people’s faces,” he said. “We all have bad moments, but we have to try.”

Southeastern staff noticed and will start having the quick-witted Cornelius do public speaking on campus, as well as with veteran organizations.

“I think it’s because they all say I have a loud voice,” Cornelius said. “But that comes from yelling at soldiers for 18 years, I think. But this is kind of a bucket list thing they are doing for me. I want to speak to people about these dogs and about the military whether factual or comically.”

Cornelius has a lot of plans and is looking forward to sharing new experiences with Vernon, including kayaking, he said.

In the meantime, his first stop after graduation is home.

“He’s going to have so much fun,” he said. “I’ve got four cats, daughters, grandchildren and another dog. He’s going to get a lot of love.”

This story was originally published January 26, 2018 at 10:29 AM with the headline "Guide dog Vernon serving a tour of double duty for blind veteran with PTSD."