'Paws of War' supporter Rob Weisberg home after epic hike

Rob Weisberg said as he looked back on his 5 ½ month, 1,800-plus mile journey on the Appalachian trail to raise money for veterans and first responders that lessons he learned along the way should help his own struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Friends and colleagues of Weisberg, 55, greeted him with a standing ovation Thursday at the Nesconset headquarters of the nonprofit Paws of War after his recent return.

Robert Misseri, the nonprofit's president, said the $14,000 Weisberg raised for the organization will go toward its efforts to connect veterans and first responders who have PTSD with service dogs that help them deal with everyday life.

Weisberg, a Commack native and Nesconset resident, hiked through 12 states before a leg injury cut his journey short at the New Hampshire border. 

A former accountant, Weisberg has volunteered with the Commack Fire Department for more than 20 years. He said he has lived with PTSD since he volunteered on 9/11 by backing up FDNY firefighters at a Liberty Street firehouse in Manhattan.

Weisberg said he was working as an accountant in a financial software firm near the World Trade Center when the first plane struck the north tower, prompting him to assist other firefighters in helping the injured. 

Through the years, Weisberg said he has struggled with survivor’s guilt on top of PTSD, getting triggered easily and at times even contemplating suicide.

“Picture being a pot of water at 210 degrees. You’re only two degrees away from boiling. So a lot of times my reactions weren’t comparable to the situation,” said Weisberg, who said a spilled glass of milk triggered him once.

So when he told his wife and two children he would hike the 2,100-plus mile trail to raise money for Paws of War, they were supportive.

“They saw it as an opportunity for me to help myself, and by doing that, it would make things better at home,” Weisberg said.

Amid battling injury and the elements and dodging bears and snakes, Weisberg said the hardest thing for him was being away from his family.

When he connected with them at a Pennsylvania cabin while he was hiking and they were on vacation, Weisberg said his children barely recognized him since he lost weight and grew a bushy beard.

“My older son heard me talking and went ‘Oh wait, Dad?' And my younger son was like ‘Oh my God, it’s you!'” Weisberg said with a laugh.

He once regretted his children didn't know him before his traumatic experience, but said he learned during his journey that while he can't go back to who he was, he can work on a better version of himself.

"I can say that this is a part of me, but if I can improve myself and make things better with everybody, then awesome," Weisberg said. 

Patrick Fazio, a Commack Fire Department commissioner, said he and others in the department followed Weisberg’s journey through his website, which Weisberg updated regularly. Fazio called Weisberg "a committed guy who makes a difference in people’s lives."

Weisberg said he hopes he can inspire others who are struggling with PTSD to seek help and avoid suicidal thoughts.

“If I can inspire them to get that help instead of taking that permanent solution that’s not the right solution, then hopefully it can be avoided,” Weisberg said. “That’s the goal.”