Community welcomes Warrior Hikers

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby feather

Warrior Hikers with local Veterans and the VFW District 5 Commander David Johnson and his wife Joanie.

Warrior Hiker Shawn Murphy, VFW Reynoso Post 2767 Commander Leandro Guillen, Vice-Commander Margarito Bejarano and hiker Joshua Brewer.

San Manuel Miner

Members of the Tri-Community welcomed two veterans who are “walking off the war” by hiking the Arizona Trail from Mexico to Utah. The Warrior Hike “Walk Off the War” Program is designed to support combat veterans transitioning from their military service by thru-hiking America’s National Scenic Trails.

On Saturday, April 4, Joshua Brewer and Shawn Murphy were greeted at the trail head next to the American Flag Ranch southeast of Oracle by the Commander and Vice Commander of VFW Reynoso Post 2767 in Mammoth. Commander Leandro Guillen and Vice Commander Margarito Bejarano welcomed the two hiking veterans home. They drove them to Wal Mart in Oro Valley so the hikers could resupply. They were then driven to the San Manuel Lodge where the Lodge had donated a room for the night for their use.

The San Manuel Elks Lodge was the scene of a pot luck dinner attended by some local veterans and family members who greeted the hikers and wished them well. The VFW District 5 Commander David Johnson and his wife Joanie from Tucson also attended. Shawn and Joshua spoke briefly about the Warrior Hike Program. They were leaving in the morning and their next stop in a Gateway Community will be in Superior where they are scheduled to arrive on April 11. They have been averaging close to 20 miles a day hiking the trail. When they reach Utah, they will have hiked over 800 miles.

The VFW would like to thank everyone that helped support the Warrior Hikers, the San Manuel Lodge for housing them, La Casita for their offer to feed them lunch, the San Manuel Elks Lodge who provided the venue for the pot luck and the Sweet Spot who donated a cake. Thank you Tri-Community for supporting our veterans and best of luck to Joshua and Shawn on the trail and in their lives. To find out more about the Warrior Hike and track the progress of the hikers visit their website: http://warriorhike.org.

John Hernandez (785 Posts)

John Hernandez lives in Oracle. He is retired and enjoys writing and traveling. He is active in the Oracle Historical Society. He covers numerous public events, researches historical features and writes business/artist profiles.


Facebooktwitterby feather
Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby feather

Comments are closed.

  • Additional Stories

    Annual San Manuel Copper Classic motorcycle race returns March 9

    February 4th, 2024
    by

        Well, they will be at it again. The Trail Riders of Southern Arizona (TRS) will be hosting the […]


    Strong Start to Superior’s 2024

    February 4th, 2024
    by

    Our great town has entered 2024 at hypersonic speed, and we are excited about the many major milestones we have […]


    Winkelman Preparatory Academy plans expansion

    February 4th, 2024
    by

    By Mila Besich   When the school year first started in August of 2023, 16 young girls began attending the […]


    New welding facility open for regional learning in Superior

    February 4th, 2024
    by

      By Nathaniel A. Lopez   It’s official.   On Jan. 23, members of Superior Town Council, Rebuild Superior, Resolution […]


  • Additional Stories

    Queen Creek Bridge replacement project begins on US60; full closures will be required between Superior, Miami for blasting

    February 4th, 2024
    by

      SUPERIOR – The Arizona Department of Transportation is replacing two bridges on US 60 east of Superior with spans […]


    Pinal County hosts vaccine clinics in Kearny, Mammoth

    February 4th, 2024
    by

        On Jan. 14, the Pinal County Animal Care and Control offered low-cost vaccines to local pet owners in […]


    OWN Oracle to disband; Oracle Visitors Center to close

    February 4th, 2024
    by

      By Nathaniel A. Lopez   After many years of service in the Oracle, and surrounding communities, OWN-Oracle Women’s Network, […]


    Ray, Kearny PD receive grant for SRO

    February 1st, 2024
    by

      Ray Unified School District and the Kearny Police Department worked on a grant over the summer that funded a […]


  • Copperarea

  • Southeast Valley Ledger