WYOMING, Mich. (WOOD) – The Kent County Veterans Treatment Court celebrated a major milestone Friday.
For the first time, the program held a multi-generational graduation.
For the two graduates — Dennis Johnson and another who asked that 24 Hour News 8 not to identify him — their age and when they served are separated by decades.
But their stories are incredibly similar.
“I came home and I didn’t realize what I had pent up inside me,” Johnson, a Vietnam veteran, said.
The other veteran served in Iraq in the early 2000s, but shared a similar story.
“The circumstances that got me here, unfortunately, are something that most vets deal with,” he said. “Unfortunately, it got the better of me.”
Both Johnson and the other graduate served in the U.S. Marine Corps and were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after returning home from combat. They both turned to the bottle to cope.
Full story: WOOD TV