Local veteran complete 22-mile march in honor of Veteran’s Day

BURLINGTON, Mass. — As old glory waved in the wind, a police escort closely followed Jake DeSantis.

The Army veteran and now Burlington Police officer was just about finished with his 22-mile ruck march for Veteran’s Day.

“I’ve always tried to do something for Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day to commemorate our veterans," said DeSantis.

This year, DeSantis started out by paying tribute to the memory of his friends Chris and Andrea who made the ultimate sacrifice by serving their country.

“I just wanted to show my support for them and everything they did for me throughout my career," said DeSantis.

DeSantis' friend 2nd Lieutenant Joseph Morgan joined him 1,200 miles away in Georgia.

“Doing this with him, I wouldn’t want to do it with anybody else," said Morgan.

Now at Fort Benning, Morgan rucked to Currahee Mountain, a pilgrimage site for the Army.

Their GoFundMe goal was to raise $500 for Massachusetts Fallen Heroes, a group that provides programs and services for our veteran and Gold Star family community.

“Honestly, we didn’t even know if we’d get that let alone break a thousand dollars," said Morgan.

But once people got wind of the ruck, donations poured in, surpassing $10,000 on Wednesday night.

“It blew up, people started following, people started donating, unbelievable support and everything," said DeSantis.

That response prompted a longer ruck from 14 to 22 miles. It would also commemorate the 22 vets who lose their lives to suicide everyday.

“The whole goal of this is to stop the 22 a day. it’s too many," said Morgan.

As the stars and stripes were carried into Boston, DeSantis also carried a white flag bearing the names of fallen heroes. He says it made him more determined to finish.

“To see the American flag along with the white flag and all the names, it kept me going," said DeSantis. "That’s for sure.”

DeSantis ended his ruck at the Massachusetts Fallen Heroes Memorial placing a wreath in memory of his friends and the all fallen heroes. In Georgia, Morgan placed his white flag on a tree atop Currahee Mountain.

Their friendship, which is more than a thousand miles apart, was joined by a common bond to honor those who served before them.

“Like they say, you don’t know them all but you owe them all," said Morgan.

Cox Media Group