On 9/11 Anniversary, Vet’s 1,800-Mile Walk To Prevent Suicide Ends At West Point

ACROSS AMERICA — Greg Washington was a freshman at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, on Sept. 11, 2001. The young cadet from North Carolina watched in horror as America was attacked.

Just days ahead of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the now-Army veteran is nearly done with an 1,800-mile walk across a dozen states to raise awareness of veteran suicide and prevention efforts.

He will end his trek at West Point two days before 9/11, and will hold his final mental health rally of the journey on the Saturday anniversary itself.

“I told my team we need to walk,” Washington, founder of the veteran-run non-profit “House of Man,” told Patch in a phone interview as he made his way through New Jersey earlier this month. “There’s a bridge building underneath us with each step.”

America entered its longest war — the 20-year U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan — because of 9/11. Washington was there, and also was deployed to Iraq. From 2008 to 2010, he saw countless comrades die in combat, including two of his close friends in the Army — Emily Perez and Scott Pace. When Washington returned home, he saw too many die at their own hands.

Recently, before his walk, Washington watched as one of his Army college football teammates took his life on Facebook Live. Seeing something so gut-wrenching and heartbreaking brought back memories of his own “troubles and battles,” he said.

An average of between 17 and 18 veterans die by suicide every day, a 2020 report from the Department of Veterans Affairs shows. PTSD, in particular, has played a role. More than 30,000 veterans and active-duty service members have died by suicide since the beginning of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, according to the VA. That’s more than three times the 7,000-plus Americans who have died in the war operations themselves.

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“Everywhere I walk, I ask people to accept my challenge,” Washington said. “Think of that one battle buddy who you haven’t spoken to in a while, and give them a call.”

Washington — a Fayetteville, North Carolina, native and current New Orleans resident — has taken that message on the road. A trailer that accompanies him every day has a banner aimed at raising awareness for veteran suicide prevention.

“People will stop, share their stories and words of encouragement,” Washington said. “They’ve been posting their encounters on social media and sharing them with members of Congress. That’s encouraging.”

Washington started walking in Mississippi and has taken his message through Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.

His journey has made a difference.

“I’ve had three people contact me saying my cause saved their lives,” Washington said.

He thought joining the walk would be therapeutic for one fellow, but he turned Washington down several times.

“He made every excuse not to,” Washington said. “In less than 30 days, I found out he died of an overdose.”

Washington stresses how one phone call can be the difference between life and death.

“There were some pretty dark moments when I questioned my quality of life,” Washington said. “My little cousin called, and that one call made a difference. So I’m encouraging folks to check in on each other and start their own journey of healing.”

Washington has raised more than $26,000 on his trek, titled “A Walk to Honor.” The money will pay for TV ads and motivational speaker engagements aimed at veteran suicide prevention and creating free telehealth mental health services for veterans struggling with trauma and grief.

Washington’s 12-state walk has withstood a number of obstacles this summer.

A tornado touched down near where he was shortly after he began walking in Mississippi, he said. Weeks later, he heard from afar about the damage Hurricane Ida did to his current city, and Ida’s remnants flooded much of New Jersey as he was crossing through the Garden State.

“But if by walking 1,800 miles can save a life,” he said, “the battle has been worth it.”