"I've got to do it for my brothers:" Veteran plans 9,000 mile journey to honor fellow heroes

WAUPACA (WITI) -- It's a journey that will take one veteran 9,000 miles across the country. And it all starts today in Waupaca.

Michael Roberts is going ton a very long walk, one that will take him from Wisconsin, to Illinois, to California, and a number of other states in between.

"I'm a veteran so I've got to do it for my brothers," said Roberts.

He hopes his Boots 2 Boots campaign will remind people about some of the challenges his amputee veteran friends face.

"They come back, they get shipped somewhere and they get stabilized. Then they come home and they're sent here to a facility, here in this country, and about a year later they just get in a car and go home. That's it," said Roberts.

Roberts won't be alone on his journey. His dog, Boots, will be with him every step of the way.

"She keeps me calm," said Roberts.

And Roberts' journey is also drawing attention from fellow veterans, like Jamie Ritchie.

"I'm going to be walking with him to Oshkosh," said Ritchie.

When Ritchie heard about Roberts' cross-country walk, she knew she had to be a part of it.

"It's a gift to be able to do these types of things and if I can take advantage of them during my time on earth, I'm going to," said Ritchie.

Roberts plans to make stops along the way.

"I'm going to bring a GoPro video camera and when I get to certain locations where there's towns and there's people, I'm going to ask if I can video them and would they like to express their gratitude to these veterans," said Roberts.

He's also raising money to fund his trip and help homeless veterans.

"I'm going to provide them with the funds. I'm going to give them a coat if they need one, shoes if they need them," said Roberts.

Even though his entire trip will take about a year, Roberts hopes he'll make an impact along the way.

For more details on Roberts journey and a look at the stops he will be taking, CLICK HERE.