A ruck march is Marines-speak for walking an extended period with a ruck sack. On Nov. 16, it meant carrying a load that to many veterans become tragically unbearable.

State Sen. Bob Archuleta, D-Pico Rivera, the mayors of Pico Rivera, Whittier and Montebello, veterans and residents gathered for the 22 Ruck March for Veterans on Saturday. Former Marine gunnery sergeant Gus Arenas started the event six years ago in memory of one friend and fellow veteran who committed suicide as a way to highlight the need for mental health support for veterans.

The number 22 stands for the number of veterans the Department of Veterans Affairs estimated committed suicide per day in 2014.

Archuleta, himself an Army veteran, helped Arenas organize the 31-mile walk from Chino to Montebello in 2018 and said Arenas’ leadership and dedication to his mission is inspiring.

“It is our duty to not only honor their service but to ensure they have access to the mental health support they need,” said Archuleta, who is also chairman of the Senate’s Military and Veterans Affairs Committee.

Pico Rivera Councilmember Erik Lutz completed the entire walk, starting the march at midnight in Chino, and going through Pico Rivera and Whittier before ending at noon at Rio’s Pizza in Montebello. Participants also stopped at the Whittier Veteran Peace Memorial for a prayer service.

Whittier Mayor Joe Vinatieri said a police escort brought the marchers to City Hall, where children were making chalk art for a city festival. The children and veterans meeting underlined the importance of every new generation learning about how service members die for the country and also come home with serious damage physically and emotionally.

“The fact that they were bringing attention to a real issue with some veterans, PTSD and suicide, and it’s a silent thing but a very real thing, that was most important,” Vinatieri said.

More than 71,000 veterans have died by suicide since 2010, more than the total number of deaths from combat during the Vietnam War and operations in Iraq and Afghanistan combined, the White House reported in a fact sheet distributed ahead of President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address in 2023.

Lutz said his all-in commitment was to highlight support veterans can receive from the Pico Rivera’s Veterans Resource Center inside the senior center. For example, veterans in crisis can call 988, the suicide hotline, as a way to find care and reach responders.

“We can build a stronger, more supportive future for those who have given so much to protect our freedoms,” Lutz said. “Let’s all walk the entire 31 miles.”

Aside from Lutz, Arenas, a group of fellow veterans and Fred Zermeno, communications director for Archuleta, completed the entire march. As the group traveled into Whittier, they were joined by Archuleta, Vinatieri, Pico Rivera Mayor Andrew Lara, Montebello Mayor Scarlet Peralta, Montebello Mayor Pro Tem Sal Melendez and councilmembers from Pico Rivera and Montebello.

Lara said communities must honor the sacrifices veterans have made and continue to make.

“The 22 Ruck March for Veterans is a powerful reminder of the challenges they face, particularly with mental health and the tragic reality of veteran suicide,” Lara said. “As a community, we stand together to raise awareness, provide support, and show our unwavering gratitude. Pico Rivera was proud to host this event and be part of a movement that ensures no veteran walks alone.”