Thursday, August 24th 2017, 5:17 am
A couple of combat veterans are walking across the country, helping to bring a higher awareness of veteran suicide.
They set out from the Santa Monica Pier back in June and have now made it to Oklahoma. Their destination is Washington D.C. When it's all said and done, they'll have walked for 22 weeks.
After being medically discharged from the military, Adam Lingo and his friend, Jason Bebo, decided to walk as a way to turn the page as he transitioned back into civilian life. He says since his exit, more than 20 soldiers he served with while in Iraq committed suicide.
"I think a lot of guys sometimes feel they are backed into a corner," Lingo said, "that they have let everyone in their lives down through mistakes and think there's no other way out."
During their journey, other veterans have joined in, walking for a couple of hours or even days. The goal of the walk is to let struggling veterans know they aren't alone.
"We are really bringing a lot of hope," said Brian Paul, president and founder of Veterans 4 Life USA, "a lot of passion in what we do to reach out and help our people who have really reached out and helped us."
The team gets back on the road around 6 a.m. today from the I-35 and Route 66 intersection. You can also follow their progress on their Facebook page.
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