On June 1, 2010, Ron Zaleski and his partner Valeria Moran departed
Boston on a walk across America. They were setting out to dramatize the
high suicide rate among GI’s and veterans. Its specific goal to is
collect one million signatures calling upon the Obama administration to
institute counseling for GI’s when they enter and leave the service.
Ron wears a sandwich board sign that says “14 GI’s a Day Committ
Suicide.” It’s impossible to miss. Being a member of Veterans for Peace
Chapter 14, Ron contacted the VFP Chapter 149 in Memphis TN. He wondered
if we could provide a place for him to park his support camper while he
was passing through town. He wondered if he might use our tub to soak
his feet. Did I mention that Ron’s 3000 mile walk is being made entirely
on bare feet? We were thrilled to offer our full support during the two
days needed to traverse the city of Memphis, covering about ten miles
per day. On the morning of October 13, he crossed the Memphis-Arkansas
bridge in the dark while 18 wheelers rumbled by.
The next day
Ron returned to Memphis (by support vehicle) to meet with Congressman
Phil Roe of Tennessee’s 1st district. In the lobby of the famed Peabody
Hotel at 7;30 a.m. Mr. Roe became the first Member of Congress to sign
the petition. They’d met Mr. Roe while crossing through his district in
Johnson City, TN. There he promised to study their petition and link up
with them in Memphis. Thanks, Congressman, for coming through for the
vets.
On November 4, Ron and Valeria reached the Arkansas-Oklahoma state line,
thereby reaching the journey’s half way mark. They will end their walk
in Santa Monida, CA
For more information, go to TheLongWalkHome.org.
Please sign Ron’s petition.