Wesley Leon-Barrientos (left) and Jeremy Staat hold their bicycles
above their head at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., March 1st, 2012, as
part of a cross-country bike ride, Wall to Wall. Photo by USAF
Senior Airman Brett Clashman
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NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (3/7/2012) - Veterans Jeremy Staat and
Wesley Leon-Barrientos are on a mission to unite veterans and raise
awareness of their sacrifices. To do it, they are cycling the 4,163
miles between Bakersfield's Wall of Valor and the Vietnam Memorial
Wall in Washington.
Their "Wall to Wall" cross-country ride
began in Bakersfield, Calif., Feb. 19, and reached Nellis March 1.
"It's about honoring those who paved the road before us. We owe
them everything," said Barrientos.
"Basically what we're
trying to do is bridge the generational gaps between our veterans,
trying to bring all the veterans together by igniting the spirit of
unity," said Staat, former U.S. Marine and founder of the Jeremy
Staat Foundation, an organization that brings military veteran
speakers into the classroom. "Our ultimate goal is to raise enough
awareness to be able to take care of our veterans in need and have
them receive the honor they deserve." |
The ride is planned to last 100 days and cross 15 states.
Staat and Barrientos will make 71 stops. 10 stops are
military bases.
"I dedicate all of these welcoming stops to our Vietnam
veterans who never got a warm welcome home," said Staat.
Staat joined the Marines in 2005 just after retiring
from a pro football career in the National Football League.
He felt a personal obligation to serve after his best friend
Pat Tilman, also a former NFL player, was killed during an
Afghanistan combat mission in 2004. Staat was separated from
the military in 2009 for a service connected injury.
Barrientos served in the 101st Airborne division as an
infantryman. He is a three-time Purple Heart recipient who
lost his legs to a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2007.
The
two met while volunteering at the Wall of Valor project in
Bakersfield. Staat had approached Barrientos with initial
ideas for the trip.
"Jeremy, being the athlete that
he is, came up with a great idea of wanting to run across
the country to raise veteran awareness," said Barrientos.
"I'm like, Dude that's not going to happen, I don't have any
legs!"
"He asked if I could bicycle and I mentioned I
could hand crank with my arms, they make bicycles for arms,"
he said. "If I'm going to kill my body, it had to be for a
good reason."
Beyond the main goal of honoring and
uniting veterans, Staat had several additional reasons for
the ride.
"We're riding for four different reasons:
to raise awareness about veteran suicide; a more efficient
VA system; veteran information centers on college campuses;
and childhood obesity," said Staat.
The Wall to Wall
ride will conclude in Washington on Memorial Day to
commemorate the 25th anniversary of Rolling Thunder and 30th
anniversary of the Vietnam Memorial Wall.
Staat said
more information is available on the Wall to Wall
cross-country ride and the Jeremy Staat Foundation at
www.TheJeremyStaatFoundation.com.
More photos available below
By USAF Senior Airman Brett Clashman
99th Air Base
Wing Public Affairs
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2012
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