Military

A Retired Soldier Is Walking Across The US For An Important Cause

Ernesto Rodriguez will walk 2,200 miles from Tennessee to Los Angeles.

Ernesto Rodriguez holding an American flag
Ernesto Rodriguez's Instagram @nerdnesto

This man is walking from Tennessee to California to raise awareness for veteran suicide. 

A place that will always live as a somber and devastating part of history. #forthe22

A photo posted by Ernesto Rodriguez (@nerdnesto) on

Ernesto Rodriguez is trekking 2,200 miles from his hometown of Clarksville, Tennessee, to Los Angeles.

Made it!

A photo posted by Ernesto Rodriguez (@nerdnesto) on

Not only is Rodriguez a U.S. Army veteran, but he also has dealt with suicide in his own life. He's lost friends to it and has attempted suicide himself — twice, according to an interview with WFAA8 Dallas."I was in a really bad way after my first tour in Afghanistan and my second," he said in the interview. "I have a daughter, and she would have been without a father. And that's what I think about when thoughts like that creep up."

As he documents his journey, he's been using the hashtag #Forthe22, which represents the 22 veterans who commit suicide every day.

As of Monday, Rodriguez was leaving Dallas to continue his walk to the West Coast. He updated his supporters about his journey via Facebook on Friday morning.

He hopes to arrive in Los Angeles by February or March.