All donations to be used for individual veteran needs
by Sean Malcom
Ravalli County resident Landen Conner, along with six fellow participants (including one service dog named Luna), marched into the Veterans Memorial at Hieronymus Park in Hamilton on Saturday, June 16, following a nine-hour, 22-mile ruck march around and through the city of Hamilton.
With all fundraising proceeds being donated to Veteran’s Victory Alliance, a local veteran organization based out of Sula, “Operation 22” was created by Conner to help raise awareness for the higher-than-average suicide statistic among veterans.
Conner, a Corvallis High School graduate and current ROTC cadet at Carroll College in Helena, started Operation 22 when discovering how prevalent suicide is among the veteran community. “I felt disconnected from it,” said Conner. “I knew I wanted to do something.”
Conner’s brother Ledge, friend Seth Gardner, as well as representatives from American Legion Corvallis Post 91 and Veteran’s Victory Alliance, took part in the march. Starting at Robert Anthony Leonardi Trail, Conner carried an Army-issued 35-pound rucksack for the entirety of the march.
Victoria Miralda, the founder of Veteran’s Victory Alliance and a retired Army veteran with 29 years of service, addressed friends and family of Conner as well as members of the veteran community following the march.
Miralda thanked those who took part in the march and thanked Conner directly for his leadership in planning and organizing the event.
“We were here to remember, and to promote awareness, about those we’ve lost, not forward deployed in combat, but those back at home,” she said.
Veteran’s Victory Alliance (VVA) provides veteran organizations with facilities and open spaces for outdoor therapy programs at their riverside ranch in Sula. Miralda was pleased to announce that all donations received from the march were going to be used for individual veteran needs, from fishing licenses to food to time on the river.
Miralda said that current donations were over $1000, but money was still coming in. The final amount will be announced at their “Mountain Muster” community gathering, which takes place July 22 in Sula.
Conner was presented with a coin from VVA and then thanked those who supported him throughout the process of planning, organizing and conducting the march.
Conner said it was difficult finding an organization to sponsor and help promote the event, but when he was connected with the VVA, he knew it was the right fit. “I really love the mission. I hope to meet the veterans, and for all the people who donated, I just really want to thank them.”
Conner finished by saying, “The mission doesn’t end here. It continues every day forward.”
For more information about VVA’s mission, or to donate to Conner’s cause, visit veteransvictoryalliance.org.