Veteran walks from Austin, Minnesota to Austin, Texas, to raise awareness for non-profit

Daniel Crawford is opting for a leisurely journey from Minnesota to Texas—he’s walking.

“I’ve got about four pairs of shoes that I go through right now,” Crawford remarked.

“It’s turned into a walk of faith for me.”

Crawford dubs it a One Thousand Mile Gratitude Walk, aiming to shed light on a non-profit organization, the 23rd Veteran, which aided him during difficult times.

“The name of it stems from the statistic that 22 veterans a day take their own lives,” Crawford explained.

“I’m the 23rd veteran who didn’t take his own life, and now I view life in a positive light, and I’m here.”

Crawford, a Desert Storm Marine veteran with three overseas deployments, reminisces on the challenges faced during those times.

“During those times, there were quite a few character-building experiences, we’ll call them, and a lot of brothers who were with us then are no longer with us,” Crawford shared. “A lot of veterans feel isolated.”

As he traverses each state, Crawford documents his journey with photos posted on a Facebook page titled 1000 Mile Gratitude Walk to increase awareness.

“Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and now Texas,” Crawford listed. “Six of ’em!”

These are the milestones Crawford keeps track of along his journey.

“If I can walk to Texas and help one veteran, I will,” Crawford affirmed. “What I’ve learned is to be open and go with the flow. It’s a choice to be happy or not, and I choose to be happy.”