>>VIC MICOLUCCI: STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THIS NEXT STORY IS INCREDIBLE
FOR FERNANDINA BEACH VETERANS
FROM 4 DIFFERENT MILITARY
BRANCHES HAVE ACHIEVED WHAT
MANY WOULD CALL IN POSSIBLE
TOGETHER. THEY HAVE ROAD 3,000
MILES ACROSS THE ATLANTIC
OCEAN TO RAISE MONEY TO FIGHT
PTSD AND TO WORK TO END
VETERAN SUICIDE. TAKE A LOOK.
♪
♪
♪ ♪ >> WILD RIGHT THERE. SO THAT
IS THE MOMENT THAT THE GROUP
NAMED FOR FROM HOME MADE IT TO
ANTIGUA. THEY CROSS THE
ATLANTIC TO GET THERE IN A
JOURNEY THAT TOOK OVER 51
DAYS. TRULY A HEROIC EFFORT IN
THE PROCESS. THEY RAISED A
COOL 800, $18,000, BUT IT DOES
NOT STOP THERE. THE 4 FROM
HOME CREW JOINS US THIS
MORNING. SO WE WANT TO START
WITH THE TEAM RIGHT THERE.
STARTING FROM THE LEFT. WE
HAVE MARINE CORPS VETERAN PAUL
LORE, NAVY VETERAN PUP MEN.
ARMY VETERAN BILLY AND AIR
FORCE VETERAN CAMERON HANSON.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. I
MEAN, THIS IS JUST LIKE THE
STORY, GUYS. WHEN THINK YOU
FIRST OF ALL, WHERE ARE YOU
RIGHT NOW?
>> I WEAR IN AND TO GOD RIGHT
NOW AND WE ARE SITTING AT THE
TALISKER WHISKY ATLANTIC
CHALLENGE A PODIUM WHERE WE
CAME IN IMMEDIATELY AFTER WE
CROSSED THE THIS IS WHERE THEY
OUR TIME. THIS IS WHERE THEY
GREETED US AND THIS IS WHERE
THEY REALLY KNOWLEDGE OUR
MISSION AND OUR.
>> GREAT SORRY. SORRY. AND SO
NO, IT’S OKAY TO BE EMOTIONAL
BECAUSE ONE YOU GUYS COMPLETED
THIS UNBELIEVABLE FEAT AND TO
YOU DID IT FOR A VERY GOOD
CAUSE. LET’S TALK ABOUT THE
REASON BEHIND THIS MISSION.
YES. SO THE THE PRIMARY FOCUS
FOR US IS TO BRING ATTENTION.
>> TO THE TO THE PROBLEM OF
VETERAN SUICIDE IN THE UNITED
STATES. THE FACT THAT WE’RE
LOSING AN AVERAGE OF 22
VETERANS A DAY, IT’S JUST
DEVASTATING TO OUR TO OUR
COMMUNITY. SO WE WE HEARD
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION,
CANINES FOR WARRIORS. WE
THOUGHT THAT THIS EVENT
THROUGH WOULD BE A GREAT WAY
TO BRING ATTENTION TO THAT
PROBLEM AND TO BRING RESOURCES
TO A ORGANIZATION LIKE TENNIS
OR YEARS WHERE WE CAN MAKE A
DIFFERENCE. ORIGINALLY, IT WAS
JUST MAYBE TO TRAIN A DOG, BUT
IT GOT SO BIG WITH OUR
COMMUNITY. THERE MANY ISLAND
THAT WE’VE ENDED UP WITH AN
$800,000 EVENT FOR WOW. WOW.
AND ARE YOU GUYS?
>> YOU GUYS ARE OBVIOUSLY FROM
4 DIFFERENT BRANCHES. YOU JUST
FRIENDS UP THERE AND IN AMELIA
ISLAND, THEN YOU JUST SAID,
HEY, LET’S ROWING. AND LET’S
GO FOR 51 DAYS TOGETHER. ARE
YOU STILL FRIENDS?
>> HAS A LOWER NUMBER OF
FRIENDS, BUT SO I WANT TO TALK
ABOUT THE FUN PARTS HERE. I
MEAN, GOING ACROSS THERE I’M
SURE YOU HIT ALL KINDS OF
WEATHER. YOU DID THIS IN THE
WINTER TIME, WHICH IS A FEAT
IN ITSELF. WHERE DO YOU SLEEP?
WHAT WHAT DO HOW DO YOU REST?
>> THE PICTURE YOU HAVE UP
THERE. IF YOU LOOK AT THE
FRONT AND BACK, THERE’S A
SMALL CABIN. EACH POINTS ABOUT
6 FOOT LONG BY ABOUT 3 FEET
WIDE. YOU SQUEEZE INTO THAT
AND YOU WRITE IT OUT FOR ABOUT
2 HOURS AT A TIME WILL TO
ARREST AND TO ROAD AND THAT 2
HOUR NAP IS MORE LIKE AN HOUR
HOUR AND 15. IF YOU’RE LUCKY.
>> AND THEN AT NIGHT, YOU JUST
YOU 24, 7, 4, 7,
>> WOW, THAT WE’VE GOT 100, 40
SQUARE FEET OF LIVING SPACE.
AND I DON’T KNOW HOW MANY
SQUARE MILES OF THE ATLANTIC
OCEAN TO OUR MISSION.
>> AND YOU HIT LIKE BIG WAVES
AND IN 20 TO 25 FOOT SEAS.
VIC, YOU’RE DOWN IN A 25 OFF
AND THEN THE WAVES TO 25 ABOVE
THAT. SO BUT THESE VESSELS
WHICH ARE BUILT FRENCH, WOW,
THAT IS VOTES AND THEY BROUGHT
A SAFELY IT’S SOMETHING WE ARE
OUT THERE LIVE IN IT. SO YOU
YOU HAVE A SUPPORT BOAT THAT’S
FOLLOWING IT. THERE THEY HAVE
A SAT PHONE WHERE THEY TRACK
YOU. YEAH, THEY CAN GET TO
WITHIN A FEW DAYS IF THERE’S
AN EMERGENCY. BUT WE ARE
ACTUALLY TRAINED TO TAKE CARE
OF EACH OTHER MEDICALLY. WE
HAD ALL THE FOOD WE NEEDED. WE
MADE OUR OWN WATER WHERE THE
WATER MAKER SO IS ALSO MEANT
THAT CAMPAIGNS IS CREATED THIS
THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR TO
DO THIS ADVENTURE OF A
LIFETIME. AND IT’S THE MOST
CHARITABLE EVENT I THINK I’VE
EVER SEEN. THIS THE WHOLE
JOURNEY IN THE WHOLE PURPOSE
IS TO BE ON SUPPORTED AND
REALLY THEM ANYTHING THAT
COMES OUT OF THAT, SIR, IS
THAT IT REALLY PARALLELS. OUR
VETERAN CAUSE BECAUSE VETERANS
ARE REALLY STRUGGLING AT TIMES
IN THE TRANSITION FROM
MILITARY LIFE TO CIVILIAN
LIFE.
>> AND THIS CHALLENGE FOR US
EVERY DAY. EVERY MINUTE, EVERY
2 REALLY BROUGHT THAT OUT. SO
PUSHING KEEP PUSHING IT
FORWARD. WROTE THE REAL HEROES
ARE THE GUYS OUR COUNTRY OR TO
SERVING IN TO TRY. MISTER.
SURE. WE ALWAYS TELL
EVERYBODY, SIR, IF YOU DON’T
REMEMBER US, THAT’S FANTASTIC.
BUT WHAT YOU CAN’T FORGET, AS
YOU CAN FORGET WHY WE OUR WHY
IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING?
YEAH, WOW. WE ARE ROAD OTHERS
ANOTHER SUNRISE. ANOTHER
LISTEN. I AM INSPIRED. I’M
GOING TO GET MY KAYAK RIGHT
NOW. START TRAINING. MAYBE I
COULD BE
>> WHEN YOU’RE BACK HERE UP IN
A NORTHEAST, FLORIDA, I’D LOVE
TO GET TOGETHER.
>> YOU KNOW, TAKE ALL ISLAND.
IT’S IN COMMUNITY SOME SEE WE
ACTUALLY GOT A VENT IN JUNE
WHERE WE GO TO SAINT MARY’S TO
FERNANDINA. PLEASE JOIN US
TOGETHER. I TRAIN AND I
HAPPENED. SO WE’LL CONNECT.
AND I KNOW THAT WE’RE GOING TO
POST A LINK. IF PEOPLE WANT TO
CONTINUE TO HELP YOUR CAUSE.
ON OUR WEBSITE NEWS 4 JAX DOT
COM CERTAINLY GOING MAKE SURE
THAT HAPPENS. THANK YOU ALL
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WHEN IT
CROSSED AN OCEAN. ALL RIGHT.