Ronan veteran visits home on walk across America
Linda Sappington
Veteran USMC Sgt. Chuck Lewis of Ronan enters Kalispell Friday evening, joined the last few miles by local veterans Ron Merwin and Tomy Parker, and several other supporters.
Daniel Martynowicz
Lewis is greeted with hugs from friends at Saturday’s fundraising event held at the Ronan VFW.
Linda Sappington
With fresh feet, Lewis began the 3,300-mile journey Easter Sunday morning in Everett, Wash., just north of Seattle.
Linda Sappington
Linda Sappington
Daniel Martynowicz
Daniel Martynowicz
Daniel Martynowicz
Linda Sappington
Linda Sappington
Linda Sappington
Linda Sappington
Lewis stands with Mike Ehredt, a runner who logged two trips across America, placing a flag at every mile marker in honor of every U.S. service member killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Exactly 32 days ago, a veteran and member of several VFW posts and honor guard organizations throughout the Mission Valley, Chuck Lewis, set out on a journey from the Seattle, Wash., area to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
His goals were simple, straightforward and direct: Walk more than 3,300 miles across the United States, raise $50,000 for wounded and disabled veterans, and remind citizens across the country of the cost of freedom by speaking at presentations and workshops.
Only a month into this journey, Lewis has already walked 570 miles and is back home in Montana, having made it to Kalispell last weekend. Including days and hours Lewis took off to rest and speak at veterans events, he’s averaged just over 20 miles per day.
Saturday, a group of veterans, supporters, community members and family gathered at Ronan’s VFW hall to welcome Lewis as he passed through on the way to the capitol.
The day before, veterans Tomy Parker and Ron Merwin traveled alongside Lewis on his way into Kalispell.
“I got two blisters on my feet and I walked two miles. He’s walked 570,” Merwin said with a laugh. “I’ve known Chuck for quite a while. We’re both all about sponsoring the troops and making sure they’re not forgotten, welcoming them home. What he’s doing is unbelievable — an unbelievable effort. It’s for all the people that are wounded, and Chuck is taking this on single-handedly. I can’t say enough about him.”
Heaping piles of burgers, hot dogs, sides and condiments filled the VFW alongside friends, family and supporters as Lewis and his wife Linda drove up, parked, and were treated to a hero’s welcome. Smiling faces, laughter and firm handshakes and hugs greeted Lewis as he came home, and they were followed by piles of delicious food.
After a few brief words from Lewis, Merwin stood and took the microphone, asking Parker and his family to stand alongside Lewis and his family.
Seeing two Marines and two different families surrounded by a loving community and bound by a bond transcending the time between their wars was truly something to behold.
At this, Merwin presented Parker’s mother, Lisa Corbett, with a silver star flag. The flag is bestowed to families of veterans who’ve been wounded in battle.
“In other words, it recognizes that these veterans were wounded in battle,” Merwin said. “Of course, this is the epitome of what Chuck is walking for — for veterans like Tomy. Now, to give Lisa a silver star flag, and silver star families day is May 1 — it’s almost too perfect for words.”
Upon receiving the flag, Lisa wore a grateful smile while wiping away tears.
In addition to walking, Lewis has spoken at various events and given many interviews for small, local television stations and newspapers. This has brought a good deal of attention to Lewis’ walk, and families and perfect strangers have been stopping him in public to say thank you, talk and offer donations or food.
On one occasion, a woman stopped her car on the opposite side of the highway from Lewis and started walking toward him with a cash donation in hand.
“She was just bawling,” Lewis remembered. “So she’s crying and she comes up to me and just hands me money. I was sitting there thinking, ‘OK, I have to ask,’ so I said, ‘Is there something wrong?’”
Between half-choked sobs, Lewis was able to work out that the woman’s daughter had just joined the military and was set to leave for boot camp in July. Lewis asked her which branch of service her daughter had joined.
“And she turns, and she can’t even talk she’s crying so hard, and she points to my sweatshirt and leaves,” he said.
Printed on the front of Lewis’ sweatshirt was an eagle-over-globe and the letters, “USMC.”
Two and half years ago, fellow marine Mike Ehredt from Hope, Idaho, walked across the country to recognize the 4,000 U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq.
“His motto was, ‘One life; One flag; One mile,” Lewis said.
Ehredt's flags were 6 inches wide and 4 inches tall, and each one bore the name, rank, branch of service and home town of a U.S. soldier killed in Iraq. The local American Legion put Ehredt up for a night, gave him dinner and a place to stay and took him back down to where they’d picked him up the day before.
Last year, Ehredt walked across the country again. This time, however, he went from Canada to Louisiana, placing a flag every mile for every U.S. service member killed in Afghanistan.
And when Lewis walked through Idaho, Ehredt stopped by to walk with him for a ways. While the pair were walking, a man in a pickup stopped by the side of the road and asked if they had a few seconds to talk. As it turned out, this man’s son was killed in Afghanistan, Aug. 7, 2012. The man had made several decals in remembrance of his departed son.
“He said, ‘I have one left and I was wondering if I could put it on your cart,’” Lewis said. “We looked at the cart and, right on the banner in front that says ‘WalkingForTheFallen.com, there was one spot of open space. The emblem fit perfectly. I mean, the color scheme, the shape, everything — it looked like it was designed for it. But the cool thing about it was that I was able to help him with his last decal, and I’m taking it across the country on this walk.”
The other side that Lewis found interesting was the timing.
“Mike had been walking with me for an hour or so when this guy pulled up,” Lewis said. “Mike went on his smartphone and was able show this man exactly where he’d placed his son’s flag (during Ehredt's second walk across the country last year.) He got to meet both of us at the same time. It was just amazing, the timing on the whole thing. Mike was with me for maybe two hours, and when you think about two hours versus the whole trip across America, it’s a relatively short period of time.
“This veteran’s father came up and caught us both at the same time, and we were able to do something for him and show him what we’ve done to honor his son.”
Soon, Lewis will be back on the road, walking more than 20 miles a day in cold, windy, and sometimes dangerous conditions all so he can raise a few dollars for a few fellow wounded veterans. An account has been established at Community Bank for donations to the cause, and donations are always welcome on Lewis’ website, www.WalkingForTheFallen.com.
“Chuck stands for those who stood for us,” Merwin said, “and now he’s walking for those who fell for us. He’s walking for the fallen.”
