Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Oscar Diaz | Lt. Cmdr. Bradley Spears, Naval Air Station Fort Worth Chaplain, meets with Daniel...... read more read more
NAS JRB Fort Worth, Texas – Daniel Crawford, a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran who served during Operation Desert Storm, walked from Austin, Minnesota to Marble Falls, Texas to raise awareness for Veterans who are currently dealing with trauma and mental illness. At the end of his journey, Crawford walked more than 1,000 miles in just over two months in support of bringing awareness to trauma, mental illness, and suicide in the Veteran community. On March 27, 2024, Lt. Cmdr. Brad Spears, a Chaplain at Naval Air Station (NAS) Joint Reserve Base (JRB) Fort Worth, met with Crawford at a local park near downtown Fort Worth.
Crawford discussed how his initial plan was to conclude his journey in Austin, Texas, but circumstances required a change of location.
"My destination is now Marble Falls, Texas,” said Crawford. "Fortunately, I've arranged to stay at a VFW campground in Marble Falls, where supportive individuals are offering their assistance."
Spears spoke with Crawford about his journey, motivation, and final destination during their visit.
“I connected with Mr. Crawford through the chaplain network,” said Spears. “Through this network we were able to provide support for a couple of days for his journey through North Texas.”
During his journey, Crawford has depended on the generosity of individuals for transportation between his destinations and his camper. He has maintained communication with local VFWs and American Legions, tapping into their resources and assistance as needed along the route.
When Crawford was asked what motivated him to do this, he spoke about a time after his service where he struggled to cope with life and went down a dark path. He was able to find his way out and restart his life thanks to a local Minnesota non-profit called 23rd Veteran that he now volunteers at.
"The name of it comes from the statistic that 22 Veterans a day take their own lives," said Crawford. "I'm the 23rd Veteran who did not take his own life, and now I see life in a positive way and I'm here."
Crawford hopes to spread one message in particular as he completes his more than 1,000 mile trek.
“We are lost in social media, Veterans too, especially Veterans. What I've noticed on this walk is the need for face-to-face communication,” said Crawford. “If you have a Veteran in your circle, listen, that's all you got to do, is just listen to them, reach out and listen. Don't resolve their problems, they might not even make any sense to you, just listen.”
Individuals seeking assistance can contact the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 or the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 for calls or texts. Additional support is accessible on NAS JRB Fort Worth, including the Fleet & Family Support Center at BLDG. 3175 (phone: 817-782-5287) and the Chapel phone: 817-825-6465, which provides access to a 24/7 Duty Chaplain. Additionally, individuals can reach out to Military OneSource for confidential support and resources by calling 1-800-342-9647.
| Date Taken: | 04.23.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 04.23.2024 14:49 |
| Story ID: | 469266 |
| Location: | FORT WORTH, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 47 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Marine Veteran Walks For Suicide Awareness., by PO2 Oscar Diaz, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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