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Search continues for missing Libertyville veteran

Family, friends and police are continuing to search for a Libertyville resident and Iraq War veteran who has been missing since Dec. 1.

Dan Nerstrom, 30, left his house on foot that day and has not been seen since, said his girlfriend, Amanda Tiffany.

Libertyville police said they had search dogs looking for Nerstrom all day Saturday but don't have any leads yet.

"As of right now, we are going on nothing; there are literally no traces anywhere," Tiffany said. The two have been together more than two years and are raising her 4-year-old son, Austin, together.

"It's been really, really difficult," she said.

A Facebook page "Bring Home Dan Nerstrom" has more than 5,000 likes, pictures of Dan with his family and updates on the search.

"Dan Nerstrom is missing and possibly distraught," a flier posted to the page reads. "He lost friends while serving in Iraq and was forced to retire from the Army in 2009 due to a severe back injury and brain trauma that makes him lightheaded and confused at times. He also suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, but he's not violent toward others."

According to the flier, there has been no activity in his bank account and his cellphone is turned off.

Nerstrom graduated from Libertyville High School in 2002 and served in the U.S. Army from September 2003 to January 2009. He was deployed to Iraq from February 2005 to February 2006 as a scout in the 3rd Armored Regiment.

Nerstrom had been trying to set up an appointment with a therapist at the Veterans Affairs since October, but it had been pushed back several times, Tiffany said. "His PTSD is really what set this whole thing off," she said. "There are certain anniversaries of the war and it kicks in; he gets nightmares."

Family friends have set up a fundraising website to help Nerstrom get mental health care outside of the VA when he is found.

Although it's been nearly two weeks since Nerstrom was last seen, Tiffany said she is trying to stay positive.

"The fact that there has been no body found - we are keeping hope that he might be hiding out there and maybe someone will recognize him," she said.

Nerstrom is described as 6 feet 1 inches and weighs 200 pounds with brown hair, according to a flier. He was last seen wearing two jackets - a forest green Carhartt fleece jacket with black woolly fleece on the inside and a black Carhartt jacket with patches on both shoulders - a camouflage beanie hat with a red spider on the front, blue jeans, and tan military style boots. The flier says he may also be wearing sunglasses for migraines.

Anyone with information about Nerstrom is asked to call the Libertyville Police Department at (847) 362-8310.

This is a flier for missing Army veteran Dan Nerstrom, 30 of Libertyville. courtesy of Amanda Tiffany
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