Man travels to D.C. on horseback for veteran suicide awareness
Tony Jones, of Fort Pierre, S.D., left his home state June 5 and plans to travel on horseback to the nation’s capital by September, all in the name of veteran suicide awareness. While in Prairie du Chien Tuesday, the cowboy found a most suitable place to stop, the Sawmill Saloon. (Photo by Correne Martin)
By Correne Martin
A true cowboy, Tony Jones has trained race horses, he’s worked on ranches. He’s lived a fortunate life and he’s decided to pay it forward.
“I’m no great citizen. I just decided to do something,” he claimed, sitting on a bench outside the Sawmill Saloon in Prairie du Chien late Tuesday morning. “I’d like to encourage others to do the same.”
The 54-year-old is riding 1,500 miles on horseback from South Dakota to Washington, D.C. in order to raise awareness about veteran suicide and funds for military veterans through the Semper Fi Fund. His cause is Cowboys Ride for Veterans Awareness.
“Since I left home,” in Fort Pierre, S.D., Jones said, “a thousand veterans have committed suicide. We’re a country protected by heroes and if we’re not willing to take care of them, then we’re without heroes, and we don’t deserve their protection.”
The leisurely-paced trip started in Jones’ hometown June 5, along with a buddy, Orville White Eyes, and two horses apiece. Now, he’s a lone ranger, soldiering on, with four horses trailered by his team, which includes his sister and a friend.
He’s out to spread a message of hope that, one veteran at a time, lives can be saved and this problem can be solved.
“I’ve talked to our veterans and I’ve got one helluva message for the American people,” Jones declared. “I’ve been to people’s homes where we’ve had nothing in common. But we can sit together and look at solving common problems as brothers and sisters. We’re all just family and we need to start taking care of each other.”
Jones arrived in Prairie du Chien Tuesday, July 19. Of course, the cowboy had to make a stop at the local Sawmill Saloon before journeying ahead to Patch Grove.
Traveling 15-20 miles per day, he plans to pass through Fennimore on Thursday, Lancaster on Friday, Platteville on Saturday and Darlington on Sunday. Then, he plans to “kick it south” to Warren, Ill., so he can bypass the Chicago region.
Jones and his team have utilized the Facebook page, Cowboys Ride for Veterans Awareness, to update followers about the ride and to message ahead to find places to bunk. He’s stayed in homes, barns, fairgrounds, etc., on the trip, and avoided a number of storms so far. Though he hopes to arrive in the nation’s capital by September, he isn’t in a rush either.
“Them horses have stuck by me and I won’t hurt one to get there,” he said, noting that he’s traded horses along the route and even added in a few from friends he’s made along the way. “When I get to D.C., I’m gonna graze my horses on the White House lawn and auction them off for Semper Fi.”
Since veterans acknowledgement is at the heart of this trip, the Cowboys Ride for Veterans Awareness Facebook page has become a place where friends can get educated about the stories of the wounded, critically ill and injured veterans across the nation who face a different battle every day.
“This is about people asking veterans about their struggles, like PTSD,” Jones shared. “I’m no more than a messenger who just started riding to make a difference.”
