Pasco veteran marching to remind vets they are not alone

Christopher Linck’s pack holds weights, a field jacket, a set of old fatigues, a hoodie from his Marine unit and dozens of memories.

“Every year around this time, it seems like we’re losing more guys. ... Guys coming home, but not coming home,” said Linck, 35, of Pasco. “We want to get the message out there that you’re not alone.”

To accomplish that, he and his friend and fellow Marine Joe Chiprez — along with others — are inviting people to join them Monday on a 20-mile hike through the Tri-Cities.

“This is going to help get the word out there that there are a lot more of us than people think,” Chiprez said. “There are a lot of us who are willing to have that instant bond with you.”

Dubbed The March to Remember, Linck plans to set out at 8 a.m. Monday from the Regional Veterans Memorial in Columbia Park carrying the 100-pound pack. His route will take him along the Tri-Cities Riverfront Trail.

Linck is no stranger to the transition to military service. He served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was honorably discharged after a gunshot wound to the neck made him no longer able to serve.

The bonds he made with his fellow Marines were special, and they make it hard for people to form relationships once they return to civilian life, he said.

“You have these people that you know for a fact will die for you, and you hold everybody to that same standard when you come out, and it’s an impossible standard,” Linck said.

“We have to do our part in recognizing that we can’t expect that from everybody,” he said. “That’s what we have each other for.”

He is hoping to reach some of the roughly 10,000 veterans living in the Tri-Cities who served during times of war. He wants to provide them with someone to talk to.

The casualties of war don’t stop when the weapons stop firing, he said. He wants to make sure those with post-traumatic stress disorder are recognized.

He also wants to recognize police officers, firefighters and other emergency personnel.

Participants in Monday’s march can bring their own packs, or help others carry theirs.

Six checkpoints are planned where people can join or cheer the hikers on. They are at the Columbia Park Marina, the park at Columbia Park, the Chiawana boat launch, near the cable bridge and finally at Clover Island near Ice Harbor.

“We’re not asking for money,” Linck said. “We’re not asking for anything. This is just purity of cause. This is just raising awareness and like Marines do, we’ll come at it with a sledgehammer.”

This story was originally published May 26, 2017 at 5:26 PM with the headline "Pasco veteran marching to remind vets they are not alone."