On ‘The Long Road’ veterans hope to bring the missing in action home

LAWTON, IA (KTIV) - Their mission is called “The Long Road” -- and it’s meant to bring awareness to the thousands of missing in action servicemembers left overseas.

The mission is carried out by a group of Marines marching across the country from Massachusetts to Oregon on Highway 20. The group stopped in Lawton, Iowa, today as they prepared to cross into Nebraska, which requires a safety car.

The veterans say they’ve experienced “Iowa nice” throughout their journey across the state. So far, the group has crossed six states and Nebraska will be their seventh.

“You know, nothing is going to slow us down because we still have to get to Newport, Oregon, but it definitely takes a toll on the body and what we have to go through,” said Raymond Shinohara, one of the veterans participating in the walk Friday.

“The Long Road” project raises money for History Flight, a non-profit organization that seeks to bring home, those missing in action.

“It’s been cold, it’s been hot, sometimes it rains, sometimes it doesn’t. You get the whole mix out here. But you get a chance to see the, the bones of, of America in a different time,” said Coleman Kinzer, a marine veteran walking with the group Friday.

To find out how you can support the mission, search “The Long Road” on Facebook.

Copyright 2022 KTIV. All rights reserved.