Group walking 222 miles from Fort Liberty to Camp Lejeune to bring awareness to suicide prevention
It's hard to imagine the pain that leads to suicide.
While the number of veterans and first responders who take their own lives is down, one life is still one too many.
One group is walking from Fort Liberty to Camp Lejeune and back. It's a 222-mile ruck march to try and understand that pain.
If you're walking along Highway 24 here in Sampson County, you may see these guys and gals. They're walking 222 miles for suicide prevention for veterans and first responders.
It's the beginning of something big. They're walking from just outside of Fort Liberty in Fayetteville to Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville and back.
JP Cervantes started Let's Walk It Out in 2021. He says it's a way to help veterans and first responders get off the path to suicide.
"And the way we do that is through the ruck march," Cervantes said. "We are in pain every single day and it's about resiliency. It's about keep pushing through and making it to the next spot."
The marchers carry a flag with the names of service members and first responders who have died by suicide over the years. Names like Alex Logan. His friends called him "Cowboy." Earl Watson had a smile and personality that would light up a room.
Anthony Peterson is making the 222-mile ruck march for one of his best friends, Mark Cofield.
"He was the first one I lost to suicide when I was on my first deployment," Peterson said. "And he was the guy you never expected. He was the guy that was working out with you all the time and then, just unfortunately, he made his own choice."
Jayna Cedeno is a police officer from Puerto Rico. She came to join the ruck march for a fellow officer.
Cedeno said that fellow officer moved to the states about a year ago. Unfortunately, he killed his wife and killed himself.
Just about every step is in memory of a service member or first responder who took his or her own life. Organizers said this is a way to remember them, but hopefully it's a way to give others a reason to keep living.
They'll be at Camp Lejeune by Monday and back in Fayetteville by April 20. So there's plenty of time for you to come out and join and support them.
You can follow the group's progress and find a way to help on their website or Facebook and Instagram pages (@letswalkitout222mileruck).
If you're having suicidal thoughts or a mental health crisis, call or text 988. Veterans can press “1” after dialing 988 to connect directly to the Veterans Crisis Lifeline. For texts, veterans should continue to text the Veterans Crisis Lifeline short code at 838255.
