On July 11th, New York Times Reporter and Pulitzer Prize Winner Dave Philipps and Award Winning Photographer Max Whittaker drove to Chester, IL to meet with me to discuss A Vicious Cycle.
It was an honor and privilege to be included at the tail end of what is most certainly one powerful beast of an article. I am very excited to announce that Dave’s moving story, “Finding Some Peace After War” was printed and distributed in the Wed, August 2nd publication of the New York Times. Read Article
Dave and Max made what could have been a rather intimidating process feel fun and even easy. VFW Kaskaskia, IL (Post 3553) President and Marine “Paco” welcomed us inside and gave us free reign of the building for our interview portion. We then set out into the Ozarks for our last ride in the state of Illinois, then crossed the mighty Mississippi into Missouri.
It was good to be able to explain to Dave that I want my journey to honor my fallen Brothers and Sisters in Arms who gave their lives for us.
Part of my journey is connecting with other Combat Veterans who may feel at war with themselves like I do, and to give voice to our issues by being more vocal about my own. I also need to prove to myself that I not only WANT to be here, but DESERVE to be here…
Max did an incredible job of capturing our lifestyle on the road. Down to every last detail, he depicted our personalities and our journey both mindfully and creatively.
It was a VERY hilly 100° day, but luckily that night, I found some cover behind a small church in Ozora, MO (population of 183), complete with working outdoor ceiling fans! Unheard of…
The next morning, I broke down camp, boiled water for oatmeal, hydrated, then hit the road. Max and Dave followed by car to get some action shots, then waved goodbye and disappeared into the hills.
What a wonderfully surreal couple of days that was… I want to thank everyone who has encouraged, supported, and believed in me throughout this intensely grueling, yet deeply gratifying journey. It’s hard to believe I’m almost halfway across the United States. Far too many new milestones are quickly approaching for me to slow down now…
// NOTHING FOLLOWS //