JAY – After a four-year commitment with the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division that included a 15-month tour in Iraq, a North Jay man and his Army buddy will head to Georgia next month on another mission.

Only this time, former Sgts. Jarad Greeley, 25, and Marshall Berry, 28, of New Hampshire, will be raising awareness and resources for the nation’s homeless veterans by through-hiking more than 2,000 miles of the Appalachian Trail to Maine in four to five months.

“This may seem like a long hike, but put into perspective with the number of homeless veterans that we are trying to help, (it) seems minor,” Greeley said Friday afternoon at his home off Route 4 in North Jay.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, an estimated 195,000 veterans are homeless on any given night, while nearly 400,000 experience homelessness during the course of a year.

Forty-seven percent of them served during the Vietnam era. More than 67 percent served for at least three years, and 33 percent were stationed in a war zone, according to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.

“When I learned that one in four homeless people are veterans from some war, I felt like I needed to give back to these veterans, while just getting out of the service, you know,” Greeley said.

On Feb. 4, both he and Berry were honorably discharged from the 2-505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team at Fort Bragg, N.C.

While stationed in Iraq from August 2006 through October 2007, Greeley said he served as a forward observer; Berry was a medic. Greeley’s job was similar to that of a scout, except that he radioed in coordinates for artillery, mortar and bomb strikes on targets.

It was during their stint in the Iraq War that both decided they wanted to hike the entire A.T. – from Springer Mountain in Georgia to trail’s end atop Mount Katahdin in Maine – for a good cause. Both had previously hiked sections of the trail.

“Having spent 15 months deployed together in support of Operation Iraq Freedom, we understand the sacrifices that these (homeless veterans) have given for us. This (trek) is our way … to thank them for what they have done and help them now that they are in need,” Greeley said.

Greeley, a Jay native who graduated from Jay High School in 2001, sought help from Palmer Hebert, past commander of the Frank L. Mitchell Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 2335 in Jay. He then gained Hebert and Lynn Dunton, the post’s past president, as sponsors.

While the two men hike and raise awareness, Hebert and Dunton will conduct fundraisers, money from which will be deposited in a special nonprofit account at the Otis Federal Credit Union in Jay. Proceeds will benefit homeless veterans.

“I think that what these two young kids are doing is very, very good,” Hebert said Friday evening in Jay.

The plight of America’s homeless veterans “is a very big problem … and probably one of the most needy programs that a lot of people don’t look at much. So, for kids at that age to want to take on such a grueling project, I can’t say enough about what they’re doing,” he added.

Hebert and Dunton are contacting VFW posts along the trail and getting word out about the first-of-its-kind endeavor for the Jay post.

“We’re telling them that when these kids come through, to bring them in and maybe give them a hot meal or put them up for the night. The VFWs along the way, I know, will pull through for us and watch over them,” Hebert said.

Greeley and Berry spent a year researching the logistics to complete a through-hike, then outfitted themselves with gear. They are scheduled to start hiking on Saturday, March 8. Along the way, they plan to release updates on the trek’s progress and awareness efforts.

“I’m not trying to prove anything. I’ve always wanted to do the Appalachian Trail, and that’s what this is about. And I think it will be good for my head, being in the outdoors. … It’s self -medication, I guess you’d say,” Greeley said.

To help the nation’s homeless veterans through the Appalachian Trail journey of Jarad Greeley of North Jay and Marshall Berry of New Hampshire, write to: The Homeless Veterans, P.O. Box 27, Jay, ME 04239, call 207-897-0900, or call Palmer Hebert of VFW Post No. 2335 in Jay at 897-2859.

By the Numbers

America’s homeless veterans

400,000: Approximate amount of estimated homeless veterans in America, or 23 percent of the nation’s homeless population

89: Percentage who received an honorable discharge

67: Percentage who served three or more years

47: Percentage who served during the Vietnam era

46: Percentage who are age 45 or older

17: Percentage who are post-Vietnam veterans

15: Percentage who are pre-Vietnam veterans

Source: National Coalition for Homeless Veterans

http://www.nchv.org/background.cfm