March from Huntington Beach to Newport draws attention to the high rate of veteran suicides
Carrying at least 22 pounds of gear on their backs to bring attention to the significant number of veterans who die by suicide every day, about 100 people participated in a ruck march Saturday from Huntington Beach to Newport Beach.
It was the first such event organized by American Legion Newport Harbor Post 291, according to post historian John Arganda.
“We’re trying to bring veteran suicide awareness to the actual public,” Arganda said in a recent interview. “That’s part of the reason we [marched] from Huntington Beach to Newport Beach. As you know, it’s one way to get people to see what we’re doing, but it also lets people know who we are. We also were trying to bridge gaps between other organizations within the community, as well, because I feel that we should be working together,” said Arganda.
That includes organizations like the Elks Lodge, Team Red, White and Blue and the Quick Reaction Foundation.
Arganda, who served in the U.S. Army, said the idea to organize the march came to him after other groups did similar events. He thought a local march would not only be a way to bring awareness to the problem but could also serve as a fundraiser for the post’s charitable work.
Argand reported the march raised $2,156 Saturday for his organization’s veteran emergency assistance fund, which helps more than 20 people a month. The entry fee to the march was $22.
“I don’t think a lot of people realize [the problem of veteran suicide] is actually something to combat as much as possible because these guys have sacrificed for our country,” said Arganda. “The 22 pounds is the weight of the 22 veterans a day we carry.”
The statistic of 22 veterans dying by suicide daily was first reported in 2013, when the United States Department of Veterans Affairs released a study that covered reported suicides from 1999 to 2010. The number has improved somewhat since then, as a U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs 2023 report showed the suicide number dropped to 18 daily, but the average rate of suicides per day for veterans rose from 16.4 in 2001 to 17.5 in 2021.
Saturday’s ruck march started at Huntington Beach Pier and ended at the American Legion Newport Harbor Post 291 — a distance of about 6.8 miles.
Arganda said that despite the solemn nature of the event, participants were in high spirits even as a brief storm hit the area.
“As soon as we stepped off, it started raining a bit but everyone pushed on and persevered. People were having a blast,” he said on Monday.
As part of the event, the group brought out a color guard and the national anthem was played. The Combat Veterans Motorcycle Assn. proceeded those on foot.
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