Salute: Marine Corps veteran finds peace in horticulture therapy
Rowan Sockol, 27, grew up in Fellsmere, Fla., and participated in the Navy Jr. ROTC program in high school. Naturally, upon graduation, he chose to enlist in the military for somewhat of a unique reason.
“People told me not to,” Sockol said. “Everyone said whatever you do, don’t join the Marine Corps. So I signed up for the Marine Corps.”
Sockol served in the infantry as a mortarman and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2013 for eight months. He was stationed at Camp Leatherneck in Helmand Province in the I/9 “The Walking Dead” company. There, his main job was to patrol for IEDs to make sure none of his patrol stepped on them or drove over them.
“It was an experience to say the least,” Sockol said. “There wasn’t a day our company didn’t get in a fire fight.”
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Toward the end of his tour, his company began focusing on hearts and minds, as they called it. Leaders met with the local townspeople while Sockol’s company would stand guard as they negotiated peace and goods.
One of Sockol’s highlights there was meeting the Jordanians, a group of men from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, a country in Western Asia.
“They came in and made us the best food I had the entire time I was there,” Sockol said.
After Sockol returned to the states, his company was disbanded and he was sent to the 3/2 “Betio of Bastards” company.
“We mostly did training but we got to go to Japan, the Philippines and South Korea which was cool,” Sockol said. “I wasn’t deployed to any more war zones before I was honorably discharged.”
Life after getting honorably discharged
Sockol moved to Maine where he met his wife, Amanda. They loved it there but the winters became too much to handle after they gave birth to their first baby. After a close call with freezing pipes, they decided it was time to move back to near their family in Florida.
Sockol worked odd jobs as he acclimated back into the daily grind but found that it became difficult with his anxiety. He had been diagnosed with PTSD and didn’t really know where to turn.
“When I got out of the service I was a heavy drinker,” Sockol said. “At one point, I had even attempted suicide. I don’t do well with crowds and it’s a daily struggle. Thankfully, I have a good support system and am getting help."
When looking for job opportunities, Sockol came across a horticulture therapy farm in Umatilla that employed veterans with PTSD.
“I thought it was too good to be true,” Sockol said. “No one offers good pay, good hours and a therapist on site.”
But it was true. Sockol became the newest addition to St. Johns Hops farm, which was started by Sebastian Lajeunesse, who also was diagnosed with PTSD. His horticulture therapy hops farm was just what Sockol needed.
“Before working here, I preferred to be indoors, laying around,” Sockol said. “Now, I really enjoy getting out in the sun, working with my hands, learning new things and other aspects of the job. I enjoy the peace and quietness of the farm and seeing the results of the work I do. It’s very fulfilling.”
Sockol has also just acquired a new puppy that is still in need of a name, but he intends to train him as a service dog.
This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Marine Corps veteran finds peace in horticulture therapy at St. Johns Hops
