Iraq War veterans walking to raise $100,000

Iraq War veterans walking to raise $100,000
The Independent
By Harold Reutter
Posted on October 23, 2013

Knowing how to access veteran services ... PTSD .... suicide ... substance abuse.

Those are some of the issues faced by Iraq War veterans after they return to the United States and try to re-enter civilian life. Tom Voss and Anthony Anderson, two Iraq War veterans, are walking from Milwaukee to Los Angeles to raise awareness of all those issues by people who are not part of the veterans community.

They also are raising money for Dryhootch, an organization run by veterans for veterans that Voss says is designed to help veterans re-integrate into civilian society. Voss and Anderson, who said they want to raise $100,000, said they have already raised $60,000 toward that goal.

That total includes several very large donations.

However, their journey means that numerous veterans organizations such as the VFW have also given smaller amounts of money — several hundred dollars to $500 — to Dryhootch. Individuals also have given money. The two veterans have made that relatively easy by creating a “donate button” on their web page, www.veteranstrek.com, and another “donate button” on their Facebook page, facebook.com/veteranstrek.

Voss said when veterans get out of the service, they often are separated from the people who served with them during their tours of duty overseas. As a result, they can feel isolated because they are separated from their military friends and that can make them feel isolated from the people who are in their life.
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