JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A group of about 40 veterans and volunteers traded boots on the ground for wheels on the road.
Jacksonville’s chapter of the Wounded Warrior Project brought them together for its yearly “Soldier Ride.”
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This was one of two rides happening in northeast Florida, the first one starting in Baymeadows on Friday and taking warriors on an 18-mile route.
Those like Army veteran Karlton Berry used their purpose to push their pedals.
“This takes a lot of us back to those early Army, military mornings,” Berry said, “seeing other veterans getting up, it makes us more motivated.”
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Berry, who’s from Palatka, tells Action News Jax he was taken out of service after getting hurt from a 40-foot fall during training. The crowd supporting him through the ride was a salute to all soldiers, like him, coping with an injury from their time in the military.
“It makes us want to come out here and participate in these events and be alongside our brothers and sisters,” Berry said.
Action News Jax also spoke with Santiago Ortego, another veteran who gave 30 years of service to the Army. This was his first ride, which he said is helping him with a different kind of post-military challenge.
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“We [veterans] suffer in silence, we cope with our issues in silence,” Ortego said.
Ortego did three tours in Iraq and served as a diplomat in Latin America while in the Army. Since getting out of the military, he tells Action News Jax he simply went to another fight, battling depression and anxiety.
Riding alongside his fellow veterans is helping Ortego cope, and, for him, serves as a reminder to help others who may feel alone.
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“If you are suffering, please seek help,” Ortego said. “Do not suffer in silence.”
The Wounded Warrior Project said it offers a list of resources to veterans who may be struggling with mental health challenges. You can find those at the link here.
The next Soldier Ride in northeast Florida is happening on Saturday morning. It starts at 8:50 AM in St. Augustine, at the Bridge of Lions.
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