Retired U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Kevin Guyot of Lindenhurst understands post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after serving in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. He knows what it has done to many veterans, and why so many commit suicide each day.
“I lost five men in Afghanistan,” said Guyot, who served 33 years in the Army from 1982 to 2016.
Trying to do what he can to reduce the number of military veterans suffering from PTSD and taking their lives, Guyot makes an effort to help. He is a board member of the Lake County Veterans and Family Services Foundation, and a peer counselor there.
“I can’t say to them I know how they feel, but I can say I have a very good idea of how you feel,” he said. “As a veteran, we have to help each other because we’ve all had to live through dire straits.”
The Lake County Veterans and Family Services Foundation held its eighth-annual Ruck March for Suicide Prevention to increase awareness of veteran suicides and raise money to prevent it Saturday in Grayslake. The event continues virtually through Sunday.
Tim Sashko, the president of the Lake County Board of Health and one of the organizers of the march, said participants commit to march 22 kilometers — one for each of the 22 veterans who commit suicide daily on average.
Laura Franz, the foundation’s executive director, said some of the participants take the 22 kilometers very seriously. They walk with a pack on their back, and it is not empty. They fill it.
“Some will carry a 22-pound ruck backpack,” she said.
Riley McGovern of Hebron, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2012 to 2019, wore an authentic ruck pack. He said veterans who fought in Iraq, Afghanistan or both, experienced things no one should endure. He understands how they end up with PTSD and need help.
“Veterans went through a lot, especially in the Middle East,” he said. “They saw a lot of things in the Middle East that no one should have to see.”
Sashko said 82 people participated Saturday at the Rollins Savannah in Grayslake. The march — they could walk, bike or run — gets its name from the pack soldiers carry on their backs during combat. Participants are encouraged to don a type of backpack in solidarity.
For those who have not marched, Franz said people can log onto the group’s website and walk virtually through Sunday.
Jeremy Kalcsics, who served in the Marines from 2008 to 2011, said he felt compelled to participate in the march and do what he can to help veterans so they do not take their lives because of PTSD. He has known too many.
“Five or six (Marines) in my unit committed suicide, and we were a small unit,” he said.
Franz said the organization raises about $45,000 annually from the march to fund its activities helping veterans. She hopes to do the same this year. It is a large portion of the group’s revenue.
Among the activities the foundation undertakes to help veterans deal with difficult situations is its Cup of Joe gathering at a small coffee shop in different parts of Lake County. Franz said they are held five times a week. There is also a drop-in center in Grayslake.
“The veterans are able to get together and talk about what they are doing,” she said. “It is a chance for them to experience a supporting group.”
