LAWRENCE, Ind. (WRTV) -- An Indiana Gulf War veteran on Thursday said a special American Legion challenge shows there is nothing Americans can't do as a team.
Ron Patterson served in the 82nd Airborne Division during Operation Desert Storm and is now the commander of the Indiana Department of the American Legion. For the past few months, he has been marching toward a total of 250 miles while wearing the infantry backpack he carried in the Army, adding weight each time. He said it's his contribution to the American Legion's national USA 250 Challenge.
"The thing I dreaded the most (when I was in the military) was the ruck march," he said. "There's a lot of pain when you do a ruck march. It made me think about the pain that our veterans with children in the household, if they're struggling financially, what kind of pain are they going through? So this ruck, the pain that I feel in my shoulders, kind of reminds me of the service of people before me and the service of the people who are going to come after me."
Launched last July, the USA 250 Challenge involves activities centered around physical fitness, mental wellness and community service. Donations support the Legion's Veterans & Children Foundation, which provides one-time financial help to veterans who have children and are facing difficulty meeting basic needs. Patterson said he has already exceeded his personal goal of raising $20,000 for the foundation.
On Thursday afternoon, News 8 accompanied Patterson as he completed the final mile of his ruck march challenge, with an additional 22 pounds of weight added to represent the 22 veterans who die by suicide every day. Patterson's route took him from the Legion's Indiana Department headquarters into a neighborhood that was once home to officers' housing when Fort Benjamin Harrison was still active.
Besides the monetary donations, Patterson said he has recruited new members for the Legion, the American Legion Auxiliary and Sons of the American Legion.
"Some of the great things I learned on the USA 250 Challenge, people are interested in what you're doing," he said. "When you're engaging people like that, they're genuinely interested in what you do and what the American Legion does."
As America's semiquincentennial nears and participants complete challenges, he said he wants Americans to understand just how truly exceptional this country is.
"America is a strong, amazing country. And there's nothing we can't do if we work together as a team," he said. "So I feel that this Legion USA 250 really brought the Legion back together to work as a team to accomplish great goals."
Patterson said the challenge runs through Independence Day, so you still have time to donate or to complete your own USA 250 Challenge.
