By Kathy Brown.
Jonathan Grasso, who graduated from Haddam Killingworth High School in 2017, walked 22 miles through Haddam/Higganum on Memorial Day 2020 to both raise funds for the Haddam Veterans Museum, and bring awareness to suicides in the military. He lived in Killingworth until 2018, and currently lives in Higganum.
It says on his Facebook Fundraising page, “I am raising money for the Haddam Veterans Museum. With our town’s Memorial Day Parade being cancelled, some friends and I plan to march 22 miles to raise awareness about 22 veterans we lose every day to suicide. As a student of a military college, enlisted infantryman, and family members serving in the armed forces, this truly means a lot to me. Whether you donate $5 or $500 or even just spread the word about this fundraiser, every little bit helps and will help the Veterans of our town. Thank you for your support.”
Jonathan currently attends Norwich University in Vermont. He joined the Vermont National Guard Alpha Company 3-172 Infantry as an infantryman in 2019. He will be a senior in the Corps of Cadets this fall, majoring in Psychology.
The fundraiser goes until May 29, and he has already raised over $2,000 for the Veterans Museum. “I thought of the idea because the Memorial Day Parade has always been a huge part of my life and with a legacy of military service in my family, I felt it was time for me to show my support of the military and the veterans who served before me,” said Jonathan.
Jonathan walked 22 miles yesterday, starting and ending at the monument in Higganum center, one mile for each veteran that is lost each day to suicide. In 2013, the US Department of Veterans Affairs released a study that showed approximately 22 veterans died by suicide each day. Reasons range from PTSD to the transition back to civilian life after the military to physical disabilities sustained in combat or training. Studies have shown that the numbers are improving, but veterans still have a suicide rate 50% higher than people who did not serve in the military.
Photos by Nick Kanaras.
An impressive gesture by Jon Grasso both to help raise funds for a very worthy organization that does an outstanding annual job on Memorial Day and to help raise awareness for the tragic daily loss to suicide of our veterans–almost 1 per hour.