“May is the month for suicide awareness for veterans,” Mark Woody, who served in the U.S. Army from 1979 to 1988 reaching the rank of staff sergeant, said. “There’s a challenge for a ruck march.”

Woody and David Welch, who served in the U.S. Army from 2000 to 2006, reaching the rank of specialist, informed the city administration and police and will be marching around the parking area Betts Park – about a mile each day.

“We will be marching that once a day for all the days of the month, with the intent to reach 50 kilometers, to raise awareness to the 22 a day that are committing suicide,” he said. “Even one a year is too many.”

“There needs to be investment in it,” he said. “We are not throwaways.”

They won’t just be walking. In order to better remember their comrades, they will be carrying gear.

“We’ll be wearing our ruck sacks (the packs they wore Tuesday were about 31 pounds) and we’ll be carrying our weapons which will be non-serviceable at the time,” Woody said. “The bolt will be removed and the firing pin, no magazines in them, and orange tape will be placed on the barrel.”

“It’s trying to get as much of the original weight that we had when we were marching so we can pay proper tribute to our brothers that are no longer here,”

“When I heard about this, I couldn’t not do it,” Woody said. “A lot of military providers, like the VA, have no idea what we’re going through.”

“A lot of the guys don’t know about resources outside of the VA that are available,” Welch said. “There are a lot of ways to get involved.”

From organizations like stackup.org – “they’re trying to get the younger veterans involved,” Welch said – to local veterans clubs and the Warren County Veterans Council there are supports available.

Any other veterans who would like to join the march are welcome, Woody said. Veterans may contact Woody at bigdogphrn@atlanticbb.net. Those who would like to participate in the challenge on their own are encouraged to do so.

“Indoor, outdoor, whatever you’re able to do,” Welch said.

More information about the challenge and the effort to fight veteran suicide is available by visiting stopsoldiersuicide.org.