Tommy Zurhellen: One Man Changing the World

The Marist Circle sat down with Marist English professor Tommy Zurhellen to catch up following his 2,800 mile walk across the nation for military veterans.

MC: So, what’s it like being back on campus since your trek?

TZ: It’s good now. I’ve been on sabbatical all year and I was on the walk [for] five months, so having a schedule, deadlines, being around a lot of people, that was definitely an adjustment. I had to have a colleague of mine look at my schedule from their computer. I’ve been teaching here 15-16 years, it’s like putting on an old shoe.

MC: Looking back, what are some of the most memorable moments from your walk?

TZ: It was the veterans I met on the road just by chance that made it worthwhile. Hearing all the stories from strangers and finding out that the stories were different, yet they’re all the same.

I was in the middle of nowhere in the desert of Oregon. I stayed at this campsite on top of a mountain, the guy who runs [it] is a Vietnam vet. He’d been living there for 30 years, by himself. When I started talking to him, he was very suspicious about the walk. But he was kind of testing me because he wanted to share his story, but veterans just don’t share their story with anybody. I went to sleep, that night it was 28 degrees. Then the next morning we had breakfast and he drove me down to the road from the campsite so I could start my walk that day. He just stopped his truck halfway down [and] told me his story of when he was a Green Beret in Vietnam in the Tet Offensive when his position got overran. For twenty minutes I just sat there and listened. I didn’t get any sleep the night before and had to walk eight hours, but that set the tone for the rest of the walk in the sense that, you know you are doing something important, you are doing something worthwhile, you’re not just out here on the lark.

MC: When you first began your trip, what did you pack with you?

TZ: My idea was just with my walking stick, my walking shoes, and my mailbag, to walk across the country, and I was totally unprepared. I didn’t have a sleeping bag, I didn’t have a tent or anything, and in the western part of the country there’s no towns so you’re walking all day and you have no place to stay. It wasn’t until Boise, ID, which is 400 miles into the walk, where I got the right gear. That first 400 miles was just the most painful, I was crying and sleeping out in the middle of the night, but it taught me a lot.

MC: How did you pass the time while you were walking?

TZ: It’s tough when you’re walking on the highway because you want to listen to music, but you don’t want to listen with your headphones. So introspection and being alone with your thoughts. There was a lot of singing.

MC: What was your music of choice?

TZ:  I’m a big heavy metal guy, hard rock and old 70s, 80s stuff. But my good friend Dana, who has kids, told me about this song Baby Shark. She sent me the link, I listened to it, and I could not get it out of my head. That’s how I got the idea for the sing along, just because I wanted to share the madness.

MC: Were there any moments on your walk where you felt scared?

TZ: That first night at that campsite, man, there were so many things scratching around. It’s mountain lion country, I’m just waiting to be a late-night snack. But the worst thing that happened to me on the entire trip was having my walking stick stolen in Ithaca. I went into a Dunkin Donuts, three minutes later I come out and my stick is gone. I had left it outside a coffee shop maybe a thousand times, and someone needed a walking stick more than I did. [Otherwise] I never once felt like I was in grave danger. Even when I was by myself in Wyoming walking three days without talking to anybody, I just got used to it and never had any problems.

MC: Did you bring back anything with you from your walk?

Zurhellen holds his wrist out and shows a silver band around it.

TZ: This was given to me by a veteran in Casper, WY. Misa is an Army vet, and he lost a comrade in Iraq in a helicopter crash. His name was Ricky. He had this band made and wore it for the last ten years since Ricky died, and he inscribed Ricky’s name on the inside. [Misa] asked if I could carry this the rest of the way. So I said sure, of course. I’ve been wearing it ever since. I promised Misa that I would bring it back to him physically.

We’re coming up with a VetZero challenge for next summer. It’s going to invite other veterans around the country to participate in a physical challenge and raise awareness in their communities. I might be back in Casper next summer, we’ll see.

MC: You were able to raise $67,000 in donations. What are the organizations you donated to planning to do with the money?

TZ: Hudson River Housing is going to start a Vet Ride program in Poughkeepsie. They’re going to lease minivans, and any veteran who needs a ride to their appointments or whatever can get a free ride. Vet 2 Vet is going to use the money to expand their outreach programs for veterans as far as their counseling groups and things like that. The money was really important because every dollar went to helping local veterans, but it also helps raise awareness. We asked for $22 donations, which means a lot of people had to give money, so we’re really proud about that.