Yesterday, we were able to meet Joe Copeland, a Navy SeaBee veteran who has set out to walk from coast to coast for a good cause.
His journey started in Virginia and will end in California. He walks anywhere from 5 to 10 miles a day and with every mile, he hopes to raise awareness for veterans who suffer from PTSD and put an end to the 22 veterans a day who take their own lives.
When we met Joe, his mother Tanya and his service dog, Mollie, were accompanying him on his walk. Joe and his mother were easy to spot on the road as they were wearing bright green t-shirts with the message “Veterans Lives Matter” as they each pushed a cart with supplies with an American Flag.
You can follow Joe as he continues his journey on his Facebook page or donate to his gofundme page where he is raising funds to cover his expenses.
Copeland states on his gofundme page,”Combat PTSD and combat-related depression and other mental illness are the leading causes of post-active-duty suicides. An average of 22 veterans and 1 active duty member commit suicide every day. I don’t have an answer to fix the statistic but I will do what I can to raise awareness if I can save one person from taking their own life 22 combat PTSD all of this will be worth it.”
