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JACKSONVILLE – Ken Brock walked through the doors of Wounded Warrior Project Tuesday to the cheers and admiration of those he’s dedicated to support.
The U.S. Army veteran was forced to return to Central Florida last week to fill out paperwork for the Veteran’s Administration. He started the 1,775-mile drive back to Wanblee, S.D. Tuesday to resume his walk from Amvets Post 86 in Keystone Heights to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho – but not before accepting an invitation to stop at WWP’s headquarters on the Southside of Jacksonville.
When he was greeted by two rooms of supporters, his commitment to bring awareness to the organization’s programs to treat post-traumatic stress disorder suddenly was clear.
“I was shocked by it all,” Brock said. “Actually, I wanted to walk back out. With my PTSD, I wanted to go back in my shell. But it was something I needed to do. It was something I had to do. And it was amazing.”
Brock was greeted by WWP Chief Program Officer Jennifer Silva and spokesman Rob Louis. From there, he went to the main lobby where more than 25 fellow veterans and WWP employees were waiting to surprise him. A different group applauded him on another floor.
Everyone wanted pictures, especially with his service dog Pam.
“This is bigger than me,” Brock said. “It makes me feel so awesome to be part of a group like this. I certainly picked the perfect [organization to support.] It humbles me to know there are so many people watching me, supporting me and cheering me on.”
Brock was less than 1,000 miles from completing his five-month mission to walk 2,650 miles with Pam when he got a call from the V.A. He was told he had less than two weeks to complete a routine two-year evaluation to keep his benefits. The government organization wasn’t willing to reschedule, so he was forced to drive home two weeks ago. He completed paperwork and answered question and was done in 15 minutes, he said.
By this Friday, May 24, he hoped to be walking again.
“I’m really charged up,” he said. “This makes me feel like the Energizer bunny. I want to go, go, go. I can’t say enough about Wounded Warrior Project.”
And WWP can’t get enough of him. Video boards throughout the headquarters often post updates on his progress.
Brock still has 928 miles remaining in his journey. He originally wanted to arrive by July 3 so he could participate in the town’s parade of July 4.
“With all the delays, that’s going to be impossible now,” he said. “The important thing is to finish. Nothing was going to keep me from going back and getting to Coeur d’Alene.”
Especially with so many supporters cheering him on at WWP.