MISSION

Walking and raising awareness to the plight of Veterans, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Military Sexual Trauma (MST), addiction, homelessness, benefits and the epidemic of suicide among service members and our veterans.

WalkforVets.org was founded from Buddy Watch Walk in 2019 and is an established entity in Wood County, Texas. After walking over 3,600 miles in 34 states across the U.S., our mission continues by supporting other Veterans and Advocates as they walk to raise awareness of the issues plaguing veterans and service members. We also organize small walks, and some big ones in various locations across the country. In 2022. U.S. Navy Veteran and original Buddy Watch Walk participant Jason Hanner, a walked across his home state of Nebraska.

Thank you American Legion!

American Legion interview June 14, 2020.

WalkforVets, formerly Buddy Watch Walk began as one man’s passion to bring awareness to the issues that veterans face every day which can ultimately lead them to giving up. It has now become the mission of four men. John Ring began the journey on the Tybee Island Pier in Georgia On October 1, 2019, and Jimmy Mathews joined him in Pearl, Mississippi on November 18, 2019. Jason Hanner walked for a week in East Texas and joined them again El Paso, Texas. Eli Hawkins joined in Tucson, Arizona. Paco Baltazar walked with them in Phoenix, Arizona, and in Santa Monica.

They concluded a 2,500 mile walk west on June 14, 2020 in Santa Monica, California. A 601 mile walk east from Jackson, Mississippi to Tybee Island, Georgia was completed on December 2, 2020. Bernadette Meehl and Joey Dannelley hosted a day walk on December 23, 2020 in Dover, Delaware. Together, they are working to bridge the gap between the civilian and military worlds and raise awareness of veteran issues such as mental health, PTSD, homelessness, unemployment, MST, TBI, addiction, and suicide. Veterans need to know that they haven’t been forgotten. Reach out and help change the statistic!

In 2022, we launched #22states22days. We walked 2.2 miles at 22 state capitals in 22 consecutive days.

what’s next:

On October 1, 2023, we will begin a 4,150 mile walk from Key West, Florida to Forks, Washington for PTSD awareness. The walk will be known as the #PTSDWarriorsWalk, #Corner2Corner. All are welcome to participate.

We still have to plan a walk from Normandy to Berlin. Our original plan changed due to COVID for 2022. As of now, looking at 2025.

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May we never forget U.S. Marine Steven Osborne EOW March 10, 2022

https://www.echovita.com/.../steven-mathew-osborne-14373442

FINAL CRY FOR HELP

I'm sorry for leaving this way. But it's the only option now to end this internal pain, sorrow and depression. I hope now with this letter, it will send a message to the VA. And not just another forgotten letter that the VA hides in it's closets full of dead souls from those who served proudly but came home broken like me, asking for help but had the door slammed in their face, like a telemarketer getting hung up on because you don't have 2 minutes to listen to what they have to say.... That's how the VA treats it's veterans. I didn't want it to go this way but I can't continue to get the help I need when the VA denies my mental health and physical pain, and they decrease my percentage to continue financially. $1,000 a month isn't gonna allow me to go on to get full time treatment and physical care. They pushed me to this level. It would be nice to work normally like the rest of society. But I've been out since 2012 and I've yet to know how to be apart of society still. My mind hasn't been able to get back to normal and I'm not the only one I can assure you that. They say community is healthy for treatment and the mentality, but why the fuck am I allowed to go to a Chuck E Cheese with my son at an arcade but can't be seen in person physically with a VA doctor for depression and suicidal thoughts or even fellowship with other veterans? Because everything is all done through a fuckin computer and everyone talking over each other and it gets to chaotic. I've been suffering isolation to begin with. But the VA has the ultimate decision. And that's why I'm hoping this letter reaches far out to every facility so there will be no more veterans like doing this. And they can finally get the help and the VA reconstructs the fuckin useless practice they call care.

Anthony Brown from Loma Linda VA STAR PROGRAM. I love you my brother. Nothing you did was ever questioned.

Davidson I love you too brother.

Stacey Allen from veterans claim insider, thank you brother for doing what you can to help me, I'll never forget the random phone call just to make sure I was okay at the time.

To my fellow Marines, and veterans of all branches, my brothers whom I served with and those men and women I didn't serve with, I'm sorry for leaving this way, but of all people, you should know exactly the despair and pain I have, and the hopelessness that comes with VA care. I hope you spread the awareness.

Mom please don't hurt for to long as time goes on and days become more brighter. I'm sure you know I'm an atheist so please don't think of this like heaven or hell. I'm at complete rest and in this beautiful state called NOTHINGNESS. It's completely free of any feeling, emotion, and thought. I'm with the universe, the earth, and I'm living through your consciousness and memories. If there is a place outside of reality called afterlife then that's a bonus but I'm fine being here in complete silence. I love you.

To the rest of my family I love you all. Don't hurt for me for to long. Keep me going with good memories and fun times we all had.

To everyone I ever hurt...... I'm sorry, Mayra Palacios, Veronica Flores, Melanie Gutierrez, Veronica Barrera my old best friend. And the rest of those I hurt, I'm sorry.

Cassandra I love you.... I always have. I'm sorry I didn't show you how much I love you and appreciated your sacrifices and help. I'm sorry for being a burden on you and always hurting you. I really did try. I tried to get well and get better even when it looked like I wasn't with all the fights and outbursts screaming and bringing you down with my explosive anger. I'm sorry...please take care of my dog and please help my son to realize that daddy was very sick and that I love him so much. But this sickness is to strong to bare any longer.

If I can ask everyone who reads my final letter, to do something for me. Please forward this to people you know and to veterans you have in your life. To allow this letter to be felt far from where I leave you all today. To open the door to more investigations to fix the VA system. I must go now, my time has ended and now I'm pain free.

CBS Los Angeles interview June 14, 2020

Goldstars Tribute Wall TM in mineola, tx

Thank you to our brothers at XuluProphet for the song “Killing Fields” and for all you do for our Veterans!

Veteran Resources

We walk to raise awareness to the many hurdles that veterans face on a daily basis. To overcome these hurdles we want to link you to the organizations and programs available for you and your family. We have teamed up with Project Roll Call for a complete list of resources that can assist many Veteran needs. If you are aware of one not on the list, please let us know.