Robert Curry, or Bob to those who know him well, is a Vietnam veteran, entrepreneur, and veteran advocate whose life and work reflect a deep commitment to service, recovery, and citizenship after war. Following his military service, Curry built a career in business and technology while also drawing on his own hard-earned journey home to help other veterans facing the challenges of transition, trauma, and reintegration. His work has been defined by resilience, leadership, and a belief that those who have served are often best equipped to help one another heal and move forward.
Curry served in the U.S. Army from 1969 to 1972 as a co-pilot of the OV-1 Grumman Mohawk, flying more than 250 combat reconnaissance missions in Vietnam and Laos in support of military intelligence operations. Like many veterans, Curry understood that service does not always end when a person returns home. That lived experience became the foundation for a lifetime of advocacy on behalf of veterans and their families.
As founder of Dryhootch, Curry helped create one of the most important peer support models for veterans and their families, building a place where those who served could find understanding, stability, and a path forward. Under his leadership, Dryhootch became a trusted community-based organization focused on peer support, mental health, addiction recovery, employment assistance, and benefits navigation. Through that work, Curry helped de-stigmatize the veteran experience and strengthen the support systems that veterans need after the uniform comes off.
In addition to his nonprofit leadership, Curry held roles with IBM, Lotus, AT&T, and iEmagine, and later co-founded BattlePeer Corp., a tele-health platform designed to connect those facing PTSD with providers and peer mentors. His service and leadership have been recognized nationally, including by the White House as a Champion of Change and by the Medical College of Wisconsin, which awarded him an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree. The Pritzker Military Museum & Library is proud to recognize Robert Curry with the Founder’s Award for his extraordinary leadership, his unwavering service to veterans, and his enduring commitment to the institutions and communities that help veterans come home.