Daniel Taylor was going in circles.
It was 2013. He was living in a dilapidated house with four other roommates and working odd jobs: Selling meat door-to-door out of a pickup truck. Cashiering at the local RaceTrac. Shuffling shifts between Circle K and Ross.
Three years later, Taylor is going in circles again. Since August, he’s been walking in a loop through the 48 continental United States to raise awareness and support for veterans facing PTSD, mental illness and thoughts of suicide.
Veterans like him.
The Walk
Daniel Taylor, a Plant City native, served in the United States Navy from 2007 to 2013. When he left, he was enrolled in a course that aimed to help him re-adjust to civilian life. The weeklong class taught him how to make a résumé and tie a tie — and that was it.
He returned home to Plant City, where he hoped to find a local security job. Though he’d worked as a sonar technician in firearms and tactics, he was turned away from the security field because he lacked civilian certifications.
“It’s actually more difficult than you might imagine to get a job when you get out,” Taylor said.
He was forced to rely on working odd jobs. Within a year and one half, he’d developed mental health issues. About 20 veterans a day commit suicide nationwide, according to new data from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Taylor turned to education. While enrolled at the Colorado School of Trades training facility in Lakewood, Colorado, he became aware of the problems facing fellow veterans. The statistics were his reality.
About 30% of men and women who have spent time in war zones experience PTSD, according to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
In 2014, 49,933 veterans were homeless, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
Twenty-five percent of nearly 5,500 active-duty U.S. Army soldiers have a mental disorder of some kind, according to a study by JAMA Psychiatry.
Taylor wanted to help.
In August, he got his chance. While working at the DV Farm, a Dysfunctional Veterans nonprofit, he came across a walk across the continental U.S. by U.S. Army veteran Kevin Kinkead, who had served in the armed forces from 2009 to 2014.
“I wasn’t reintegrating into civilian life,” Kinkead said. “I wasn’t doing well at all. My friend, Chris Hemwall, wanted to do a walk through the United States to help out veterans, but he couldn’t. He lost his leg in Afghanistan.”
Kinkead decided to walk instead. And, after hearing his story, Taylor decided to join him.
For the Twenty
Kinkead began his walk in May, and Taylor joined him in Maine Tuesday, Aug. 8. So far, they’ve walked through 11 states. The remainder of their journey is expected to take two and one half to three years. In total, they’ll walk between 15,000 to 16,000 miles.
“We walk most days unless we have an event going on,” Taylor said.
The veterans have a GoFundMe account set up to help cover basic necessities, such as food and water. They walk seven to eight hours per day, usually averaging 15 to 20 miles per day. They carry 70-pound packs full water and freeze-dried food. They rely on couch-surfing and staying with supporters of their walk. They speak at veteran-centered events and are establishing support across the nation for veteran organizations.
“We’ve worked with Dysfunctional Veterans, which helps with veteran homelessness,” Taylor said. “We’ve also worked with Operation Second Chance, Operation Stand Downs and Homeless Veterans.”
Funds left after they’ve completed the walk will go to veterans organizations.
“We want to get some programs in place,” Kinkead said. “We want to help veterans get on the right path. The (existing) systems can’t help the number of veterans and the problems they face.”
There are avenues civilians can take to support former and active military members.
“They can spread the word about our cause,” Kinkead said. “Contacting politicians and decision makers helps. We … can get a big enough enough voice to where we can be heard.”
In the meantime, the duo is raising awareness the same way they’ve tried to re-adjust to civilian life: Day by day. One step at a time.
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.