The mission of the Irreverent Warriors is to bring veterans together using humor and camaraderie to improve mental health and prevent suicide. (Irreverent Warriors/Facebook)
PITTSBURGH (Tribune News Service) — No one can throw a party like a group of veterans when they have time and a purpose, and especially when that purpose is saving their fellow soldiers.
For the fourth annual Irreverent Warriors Pittsburgh Silkies Hike on May 18, about 140 veterans and currently enlisted military personnel mounted an 8-mile jaunt from Acrisure Stadium on the North Shore to the Strip District and Station Square on the South Side.
Veterans wore short shorts known as silkies, many red, white and blue, as well as rucksacks and patriotic leis.
Rock ‘n’ roll anthems — Bon Jovi’s, “Wanted Dead or Alive,” and Guns N’ Roses, “Welcome to the Jungle” — blared while veterans joked and grabbed snacks before their eight-mile hike.
The event promotes camaraderie and fun while fighting veteran suicide.
Suicide rates track higher for military veterans than the general public, according to studies. On average, 16.8 veterans committed suicide daily in 2020, according to the 2022 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report.
Lamar Hatchett, 35, of Washington, Pa., who served in the Marines, was decked out in American flag-inspired Chubberalls, a hybrid of overalls and shorts, and wore the Marine Corps flag as a cape.
Hatchett said he has survived the loss of comrades. “I’m going to walk for them and to be with my brothers and sisters.”
Although some vets are years removed from combat, they are still haunted as civilians and grapple with unique mental and emotional challenges.
“We want to spread the word — what we do, who we are and who we are there for — veterans in need of mental health. Come and join us. We have fun,” said Patricia Stuecklen, 59, of Plum, a Navy veteran and a hair stylist who is part of the leadership team for the Pittsburgh chapter of Irreverent Warriors.
Back in the comfort of their military family, the veterans didn’t flinch in the soggy aftermath of the strong storms and tornadoes that swept through the region the previous day. They walk in rain or shine because that is what they do.
Irreverent Warriors, a national nonprofit, organized hikes in more than 120 cities around the world this year.
“Veterans share that special bond. When we come together, you don’t feel so alone,” Stuecklen said.
There’s a new generation of veterans who have returned from the Middle East and many struggle with PTSD, she noted.
“For the hike, they are with people who are safe and they know what you are going through.
“We dress a little goofy. It’s all about humor as we parade around the streets.”
Kaycee Kennedy, 33, of Franklin, Pa., served in the Army as a human intelligence collector. She wore U.S. flat-inspired silkies, a patriotic lei, oversized mirrored aviator sunglasses and her military-issued rucksack.
Kennedy said she knows of many veterans who committed suicide. One was contemplating taking his own life but remembered promising a friend to walk in the Pittsburgh Silkies hike in 2022.
“That walk saved his life,” she said.
“There was a point where I had contemplated and thought about it (suicide) often. That is why I’m so passionate about this organization and to put on the best events possible.”
Transitioning from military to civilian life is difficult — everything from finding a job to moving into a new home, Kennedy said.
She experienced trauma unrelated to military service. Eight years after her time in the Army, she was starting over.
“I had moved to a new city and didn’t have anyone and didn’t feel that camaraderie. It can sneak up on you.”
The Pittsburgh chapter’s first Silkies hike in 2021 saved her, Kennedy said.
“It was like night and day. After that hike, I got involved and took a leadership role in the hike that year and now am part of the national team.”
Many veterans on the hikes are people who are broken from one thing or another, she said. On the hikes, they are connected with other veterans and don’t feel so alone.
“I always explain to people that the hikes are magic.”
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