Ex serviceman Marty Kruck of Cleveland has chosen the right age to remember and honour 41 fellow servicemen killed in Afghanistan.
At age 41, he is walking 41 kilometres for 41 days to raise funds and awareness in support of his fellow veterans.
“I think of these men and women with every step I take,” he said.
Mr Kruck will finish this challenge on June 12, just seven days shy of his 42nd birthday.
Mr Kruck has a regular daily route which includes Mount Cotton, Victoria Point and Redland Bay and is wearing a distinctive 41 for 41 logo on his shirt. He carries a backpack, akin to that carried by his fellow servicemen.
To date he has raised $3300 for Veterans Care Association, a figure he hopes to increase before his walk ceases. Donations can be made on 41for41.raisley.com crowdfunding site and on the Facebook page 41for41.
Mr Kruck was enlisted in the Australian army from 1995 to 2013 serving in East Timor, Bouganville, Solomon Islands, Banda Aceh in Indonesia and Afghanistan. He said each place left its own emotional toll and he was ultimately discharged on medical grounds with post traumatic stress disorder.
Mr Kruck, a sergeant, first served in the artillery unit and later joined preventative medicine, scoping potable water and initiatives to reduce disease and maintain optimum health.
“When we went to Banda Aceh we were part of the humanitarian unit of engineers, medics and preventable medicine. There were 220,000 dead and we were the first feet on the ground. What we saw was horrific. We had to literally walk through people to do what we had to do,” he said.
“There were 41 killed in Afghanistan. I knew three of them. There are no official figures, but estimates are that there are as many as nine times more who take their own lives when they get back. I know two who did and I could have gone that way myself,” he said.
Mr Kruck said he believed had he been able to seek ongoing help to cope with the psychological issues involved in being in the military, he would still be serving.
“I loved being in the army and I would still recommend it as a career. Most people don’t like to mention any trauma affecting them. There is a stigma attached and once you mention any issues, it can affect your career. The other issue is that once you are discharged you can lose your support network and feel like you have failed. It leaves a big empty hole in your life,” he said.
“And then there are the home issues people face. I can’t think of a single serviceman who hasn’t split with his partner,” he said.
Mr Kruck said he realised he was at risk when he started having flashbacks in public places triggered by a smell or a noise.
“I was aware of what was going on around me but I couldn’t interact. It freaked me out. I also would wake seven or eight times a night perspiring with adrenaline pumping. I was always hypervigilant and scanning the crowds,” he said.
Mr Kruck said he wished more of his friends had sought help.
“There was never any indication they might want to end their lives,” he said.
“That’s why I want to raise awareness. Seeing a psychiatrist and getting counselling can make such a difference when coping with trauma,” he said.
Mr Kruck said the walk had also been therapeutic for him. He said his ultimate aim was to return to work, possibly in the building trade.
