The LOCAL May/June 2016

Page 26

Cover Feature

every day 22 military veterans lose their battle to pts. a staggering statistic that can;not be ignored.

K

en Meyer of Conroe, Texas is honoring veterans and helping raise awareness about Post Traumatic Stress by marching 628 miles across Texas. On April 16, Meyer and his service dog Hope, began a six-week journey, hiking 19 to 22 miles per day, to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice during Operation Red Wings in 2005. The final leg of Meyer’s Never Quit March, code named KILO 19: A Walk to Remember, will take place on May 28 as he and his supporters march from the Bolivar Ferry Landing into the gates of the

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May/June 2016

3rd annual Texas Frog Fest in Crystal Beach. “It’s going to be an emotionally charged display of patriotism,” says Michael Langley, Promotions Director for Cumulus Radio in Beaumont and former Marine. Langley, along with countless others, has been helping to plan and promote the local event since March. Along his journey Meyer will be visiting family members of Danny Dietz and Matthew Axelson, two U.S. Navy Seals who were killed in the line of duty during Operation Red Wings. His route will go as far north as Midlothian, Texas to include the Chris Kyle Memorial

Highway, where Meyer will walk with Kyle’s loved ones in honor of the fallen ‘American Sniper.’ What started out as a personal mission has grown into a highly anticipated event as communities statewide show their support for Meyer’s mission to speak out against Post Traumatic Stress, or PTS, an epidemic that claims the lives of 22 veterans every day.

Waging Wars Inside PTS (often diagnosed as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD) is a serious mental health condition that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event. Today, one in five service members returning from


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