WWTW Beneficiaries Travel To New York To Take Part In The Ruck March
On November 8th, a group of veterans from Walking With The Wounded were invited to take part in the annual Ruck March in New York, ahead of the Veterans Day Parade on November 11th.
The
event, now in its third year, has seen hundreds of veterans take part to show
their respect to those who have served.
Mark
Otto, Former Marine and Executive Director of the United War Veterans Council,
set up the event as a way to build a bridge between the military and civilian
world. The route of the march takes the veterans past several of the city’s war
memorials and offers the opportunity to reflect on the ex-servicemen and woman
who have lost their lives.
David, a WWTW veteran, took part and said, “It was a
real honour and privilege to be invited to take part in the Ruck March in New
York and to walk with so many other veterans and families of serving U.S
soldiers past and present ahead of Veterans Day. The UK and US Armed Forces
have fought closely together and it was great to be able to walk as a group and
remember those who have served.”
WWTW promotes
cooperation and collaboration between the UK and US as part of
its Veterans Transatlantic Partnership (‘VTAP’) initiative. VTAP promotes closer
workings and developments between UK and US veteran organisations focused on
employment and mental health.
David served
in The Armed Forces for 6 years in The Gulf War and Bosnia. He rose to the rank
of Lance Corporal before applying for voluntary discharge in 1995. Following
his return to civvy street, David quickly found work as an HGV driver but he
suffered from mental health issues, resulting in the breakdown of his marriage
and subsequent relationships. After years struggling to cope, David sought help
from his GP who referred him to TILS (The NHS veteran’s Transition,
Intervention and Liaison Service), and then to WWTW’s mental health programme, Head
Start. To read David's story, click
here.