Veterans passing through Georgia on a 2,000 mile journey to talk about PTSD

ATLANTA - A couple of military veterans are walking 2,000 miles and stopping at specific locations along the way to talk about PTSD. Many military veterans suffer from PTSD, but they're not the only ones, and that's part of what their mission is all about.

"There's a lot of people suffering in silence," said Stephen Meyers who retired from the US Army in 2016.

Meyers started this walk in February. He came to a sudden halt when much of the world shut down during COVID-19. When he picked it back up in August, another military veteran, Carl Curtis, joined him.

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Both Meyers and Curtis had long careers in the military. Both suffer from PTSD. They often share their personal stories along the way.

"Once they hear part of my story they're saying 'I'm feeling those same things, I want to talk to him'," said Meyers.

They stop at veterans organizations, fire departments, and police stations. This week they visited officers in Powder Springs and Hiram.

"First responders run into a lot more traumatic experiences than a normal person," said Meyers.

For many first responders, daily stress has intensified during the pandemic and social unrest.

Meyers and Curtis talk to them about the importance of peer groups to help each other out.

"Law enforcement, first responders, they rely on the person to their left and right. they gotta know their strengths and weaknesses," said Carl Curtis who retired from the US Marine Corps.

They're logging a lot of miles, hoping to make a difference.

"We're not going to change the world but what we can do is make a difference in one person's life," said Curtis.

They plan to finish the 2000 mile walk at the end of September.  

Meyers originally planned to walk across the country, but that got derailed due to the Coronavirus.  Starting in January 2021 he plans to make that coast to coast trip.

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