This interactive experience was based on the story of Ron Curtis. Ron served in Vietnam from 1970 to 1972, as a medivac helicopter pilot. He was shot down two times and crashed his chopper due to engine failure five times. The tension of flying wounded and dying men at top speed caused his legs to lock up and he had to be helped out of his aircraft. He thought about giving up and quitting. But he couldn’t quit because he knew his mission in Vietnam was no longer to fight communism, but to save as many wounded men as he could. When he wasn’t flying, he sometimes turned to drugs and alcohol to ease the pain. But it was music, and especially the songs of Joe Walsh and the James Gang that connected him with home.
After coming home, Ron bottled up his emotions for years. He hardly ever talked to anyone about the war, not even family and friends. His constant nightmares of crashing helicopters and screaming GIs kept him awake at night and caused hallucinations even during the day. He suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but he didn’t know it, and at the time, few in the VA even had a name for his condition. He was given prescription drugs to calm his nerves, but he didn’t need more drugs. He had plenty. At his lowest point, he came close to taking his life. But he survived and today, he goes to therapy at the VA regularly. He is committed to showing other vets that you can conquer PTSD. He speaks in public about the power of talking as the best therapy for healing the wounds inside his head.
