William Shuttleworth from Newburyport, who served in the Air Force for six years beginning in 1970, is planning to walk across the country as part of his efforts to raise awareness of the needs of veterans.
Called Vets Don't Forget Vets, the walk is expected to take seven months and cover 3,000 miles from the East Coast to Vandenberg Air Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. His inspiration for the walk came from working at a park in California where there were many poor veterans camping out, as they had no homes, and were struggling with medical bills or in some cases addiction. He decided to take action on what he witnessed.
Although 71 years old, Shuttleworth is a seasoned hiker and wanted to do something for as long as he knew he was in good shape. He retired in 2017 after 35 years in education and has walked about 20 miles a day since then.
During his walk, he plans to talk with veterans and their families and elected officials in efforts to seek elections of more veterans to public office who can advocate on their behalf. He will also have a GoFundMe web page to raise funds for his living expenses on the road, for which flyer printing can be used to raise awareness of this page.
Shuttleworth plans to begin his walk next Wednesday, May 15.
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