WASHINGTON-when Troy Yocum was in service with the army of the United States in Iraq in 2008, got a disturbing email from a friend who had already returned to the United States.
"He was struggling," said Yocum. "He had been fired ... and was struggling to-really-take care of his family. Struggling to pay its bills. And I wanted to step up to help him.
Thus was born the idea of someday walking Yocum back and forth across America to raise funds for needy veterans. http://fastestcpu.org/
Started more than a year ago in his home city of Louisville, Kentucky, made it to the Pacific Ocean in San Diego, walking to New Orleans and arrived this week in Washington, D.C. http://hikingholiday.org/
Thanks to donations and sponsorships, Yocum has raised about $ 200,000 and sent money to the families of 40 needy vets. He is now on its seventh pair of sports shoes, having walked about 6,100 miles.
What he learned from the experience?
"The timing is very important," Yocum responses in a serious tone. "And because it did not take the time, I wound up in the hospital three times".
There have been other mishaps. The other night, someone broke through a window of the car that Yocum shadows. The thief stole his GPS device. Dennis Halsey, Baltimore County, MD., who has followed the journey of Yocum via Facebook, read theft. Halsey has a spare GPS, then, on Friday, drove to the store of sport Modell in Bethesda to deliver extra gizmo. (Modell became recently a sponsor walk fundraiser, Yocum is stopping in various locations of the shop to meet journalists.)
Troy Yocum's life has changed significantly during the Trek. The girl whom he met during a rest and recreation in Germany joined him on the first part of the journey. Day 100 of the excursion, Yocum proposed. The next day, the couple married. Mareike Yocum unit now the vehicle that daily effort 15 miles Yocum shadows.
The couple is taking off a couple of days for the Memorial Day weekend in Washington, Wednesday morning, Yocum will begin steps of the Capitol. He will be a trip to Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York and Boston to complete his journey of 7,000 miles.
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