The night before Memorial Day, some Southern California veterans shouldered heavy weights and began a long march like they used to make in the military, all to raise money and awareness for veteran suicide prevention.
The veterans participating in the Los Angeles and Riverside county "Carry the Fallen" event began their marches as early as 11 p.m. Friday. On up to 22-hour-long march from Pomona to Riverside National Cemetery, they bore weight symbolic of the emotional baggage many soldiers bring back from war.
The number 22 is significant. Every day, 22 veterans commit suicide, according to Active Heroes, the charity that organizes the team hiking event across the country.
"The public just sees the scars on the face and the missing limbs," Army vet Jerome Espat told the Riverside Press-Enterprise. "They don’t see what’s happening inside to some of us."
The "ruck march" route, roughly 35 miles long, stretched through Pomona, Ontario, Jurupa Valley and Riverside and was scheduled to conclude at 11 a.m. at the cemetery.
