June 18 marked the 37th day of a cross-country walk for Jack Huffman. He walked from Hopkinsville to Greenville, entering town via Kentucky Route 181/Bancroft Road. A small crowd had gathered on Veterans Plaza to welcome him. Huffman is on a trek which began on May 13 in Sarasota, Florida, and will end in his hometown of Centerline, Michigan sometime in July.
A veteran of the Army, Huffman is using the walk to raise funds for The Fallen and Wounded Soldiers Fund, a volunteer agency which helps to pay living expenses and provide assistance for families of fallen or wounded veterans. When he completes the journey, he will have walked roughly 1,700 miles in approximately 60 days.
On this day, Huffman came into Greenville pulling his wagon filled with gear. He carries camping gear, foul-weather gear, and solar batteries which allow him to broadcast to his social media channels. People who want to follow along can watch his live GPS feed via Jax Walk on Facebook, or at his website.
Nestled in a small pet carrier, a white dove named Nikki rides atop Huffman’s rig. Nikki was a gift to be to be released at the end of his walk, in memory of veterans who have been lost to suicide.
Huffman told a few stories from the road. He usually tries to walk between 30 and 40 miles each day, and often camps along side the road somewhere, in cemeteries, church yards or wherever he can find a spot to pitch his tent.
Huffman said people come out with food and water. They don’t even know what it is he’s doing, but they want to help, he said. “You know, we’re not nearly as divided as they portray us to be. I’m having this help from all people, all communities, they’re all coming out in full support. They love America, and it’s an absolutely beautiful thing to see.”
This is the second trip across the U.S. for Huffman. In 2019 he walked nearly 3,000 miles from Newport Beach, California to Tybee Island, Georgia in 79 days. On that trip, he raised funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Huffman was joined by Graham native and Nashville musician Clayton Quisenberry, who performed a song for the gathered crowd.
The next leg of the journey was from Veterans Plaza to Pizza Plus in Powderly for lunch. Huffman was joined for the two-mile jaunt by Quisenberry, Muhlenberg County Judge/Executive Mack McGehee, and magistrate Keith Phillips.
Huffman said he hopes to reach Indianapolis by June 28, and Fort Wayne, Indiana by July 4. The final stage will take Huffman to the 6th Annual Salute Our Warriors event in Rochester Hills, Michigan.
