Vietnam vet wants to open a coffeehouse haven for veterans

Grass Roots: Vietnam vet wants to open a coffeehouse haven for veterans
PAT SCHNEIDER
The Capital Times

When Bob Curry wants to make the point about how critical it is for combat veterans with post traumatic stress disorder to get treatment, he just needs to tell his own story.

Curry, a Vietnam War veteran, crossed the center line of a Dodge County highway one night in 2002 and struck and killed a motorcyclist. He was drunk at the time. A jury the next year found him not guilty of homicide because of PTSD.

Today, Curry is on a mission to make sure veterans who need help get it.

"I can't redo yesterday. I can only take my story and say, look, this is serious, you've got to get treatment before things get out of control," says Curry, who was committed for mental health treatment after his trial.

To help other veterans realize that they might need help and get into treatment, Curry founded Dryhootch, a coffeehouse in Milwaukee where veterans can talk with others who understand how the stress of combat haunts their lives back home.

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