Walking for the Wounded

Walkers from Wayne and beyond are trekking from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh this week. The 2011 PA Hero Walk arrived in Devon Sunday and stepped off toward Coatesville Monday morning.

Each day of the 14-day walk will see about 18 to 20 people taking steps to raise money and awareness for veterans and their families coping with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI).

Al Pulice lives near Pittsburgh and organized the first walk in 2009. He is making the 320-mile journey by foot for the third straight year. He was moved to start the walk after meeting a soldier who was blinded during combat in Iraq and who became a spokesperson for the Wounded Warrior Project after returning home. "I found out all the wonderful things that they do for these men and women and I decided I wanted to help their cause," Pulice said.

It's become a family event for Pulice. His sister Angie and daughter Deanna are among the walkers who plan to go the distance from the Philadelphia Art Museum to Pittsburgh. Angie Pulice is also making her third walk across the state. "This has been the most wonderful experience of my life," Pulice told Patch while helping ask drivers for donations at the corner of Lancaster Ave and Eagle Road. "It's so rewarding, I can't even tell you."

A few blocks ahead Tom McCourt of Wayne was carrying an American flag and leading the leg of the walk side by side with injured Navy vet Joseph Osterman and Kelli Williams, a school teacher.  

Osterman was in charge of a weapons system on a submarine and said he has been getting treatment for PTSD and TBI at The Defense and Brain Injury Center. He said that he has seen first hand how important it is for both injured vets and their families to get treatment for injuries that are often invisible. The symptoms of PTSD and TBI often don't appear until long after a soldier comes home.

Another wounded warrior is making the trip, behind the wheel of a camper that supports the walkers and their needs along the way. Brian Coutch knows first hand the importance of raising funds. He is a 22-year veteran of the armed services, has done five combat tours of duty, and lost the use of part of one thumb after taking fire in Afghanistan. Coutch, who suffers from TBI,  said he will be getting a service dog to help him with a range of tasks.

Coutch is looking forward to getting a service dog that can help him pick things up, remind him if he forgets to take a prescription and even help him with social interactions.  "I could never afford the cost of a $20,000 service dog," Coutch explained. The Wounded Warrior Project is making getting a dog possible, and Coutch said it will make a big difference in his daily life.

Walkers raised $88,000 last year, and Al Pulice said the goal for this year is $100,000.  The full itinerary can be found on the Walk's official website.