Meet the Alabama Man Walking Cross Country to Raise Awareness for Mental Illness

Robert Luna, a veteran from Weaver, Alabama, is walking across the country to raise awareness of mental illness among fellow service membersPhoto byMichele Sylvester Photography

Robert Luna, a native of Weaver, Alabama, plans to walk from Calhoun County, Alabama, to Los Angeles, California, during the next five months to raise mental health awareness among service members and women. Luna began his journey to the West Coast on May 18 with the goal of raising awareness and funds to launch mental health initiatives for the military and first responders. His website, https://al2la.us, allows visitors to follow his progress and offer contributions.

“Service members are often faced with do-or-die decisions that will rest with them for a lifetime,” Luna’s website reads. “The high-stress situations that members face, including death, leave marks that cannot be seen. Recently, the Coast Guard has increased their services to support servicemen and servicewomen. While these new policies are in place, resources can be lagging for veterans and their families who need it NOW.”

As a 23-year member of the United States Coast Guard, Luna understands how mental health issues may affect the lives of veterans and first responders who are frequently hesitant to discuss their feelings. These difficulties can result in depression or worse.

Robert Luna, a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard, displays his special jogging cartPhoto byJulie Edwards | Anniston Star

“I want people to open up and talk about mental illness as freely as we talk about college football here in Alabama,” Luna was quoted saying in a recent Anniston Star article. “People need to be able to share about mental illness without the stigma that can surround it.”

Luna was born into a military household on January 9, 1976. Rafael Luna, his father, was a 30-year Marine Corps veteran. Rafael is married to Margarita Luna and has three children: Robert, Rafael Jr., and Marilyn (Hernandez). As a military family, we were accustomed to traveling. Luna was raised on Long Island, New York; Beaufort, South Carolina; Irvine, California; and Kailua, Hawaii. He joined the Coast Guard in 1996. Luna lived in Long Island, Elizabeth City, North Carolina; Manama, Bahrain; Alexandria, Virginia; and retired in Juneau, Alaska. He is currently living in his hometown of Weaver, Alabama, where he began his most recent voyage.

Luna's lone piece of equipment for his cross-country journey will be his specially outfitted jogging cart, which holds water, dried food, solar panels, battery packs, spare sneakers, and other requirements. Luna's lodgings for the first few days of the journey have been prearranged by his support staff, which includes logistics supervisor Lisa DiGaudio from New York and media specialist Michelle Sylvester from Las Vegas.

“All lodgings in Alabama and Mississippi have been donated for the cause,” Sylvester said.

Weather permitting, Luna plans to walk 20 to 25 miles per day.

“I plan to be on the road by 8 a.m. each day and be off my feet, recovering and relaxing by 3 p.m.,” he said. “I will listen to my body and adjust my schedule accordingly.”