New Jersey man walks across US to raise nearly $100K for homeless veterans: 'Respect and reverence'

A patriotic New Jersey man conscionable completed what he's calling nan travel of a lifetime.

Tommy Pasquale of Randolph, New Jersey, successfully walked from nan Atlantic to nan Pacific – astir 3,000 miles – successful 143 days.

Pasquale gave himself nan extremity of trekking from Manasquan, New Jersey, to Venice Beach, California, to raise money and consciousness for America’s bum veterans.

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Pasquale has respective veterans and active-duty subject successful his ain circle, arsenic Fox News Digital antecedently reported.

Since completing his trip, he’s raised astir $97,935 for nan National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, headquartered successful Washington, D.C., Pasquale told Fox News Digital successful an interview.

Pasquale, 25, was met by friends and family astatine nan decorativeness statement successful Venice Beach, California, connected Feb. 17, 2023, aft he completed his locomotion crossed America. (Nico Rispoli)

"I person thing but respect and reverence for what [veterans] do for this country," he said.

"And conscionable nan thought of them coming location [after their service] and being bum doesn’t beryllium correct pinch me," he said.

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Pasquale, who turned 25 years aged connected Feb. 13, yet group ft connected Venice Beach connected Feb. 17. 

There, he was met by his friends and family astatine his "finish line."

"I dislike to admit it, but I whitethorn person gotten a small emotional," he said. "I felt very accomplished. I felt very relieved."

The astir five-month travel took little clip than Pasquale expected; he initially predicted he’d make it to California by April.

Toward nan extremity of his journey, he was stepping 25 to 30 miles per time pinch less remainder days successful between, he said.

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The galore miles he covered, each while pushing his shopping cart afloat of essentials, caused him to pain done 10 pairs of shoes, he said.

 "I felt very accomplished. I felt very relieved."

"I wore immoderate New Balances, immoderate Hokas, Newton moving shoes," he said. "They decidedly sewage a fewer miles connected them … and they kept maine going."

Tommy Pasquale is shown leaving from Manasquan, New Jersey, connected Sept. 19, 2022 — and headed crossed America. (Tommy Pasquale)

"I was really worried astir ft problems and ankle and knee problems, but I was beautiful fortunate … I consciousness beautiful good," he continued.

For his overnights, he camped successful a shelter he was towing pinch him erstwhile he wasn’t crashing astatine a motel aliases astatine nan homes of group he knew on nan way.

Pasquale admitted that while he’s happy to person accomplished nan cross-country walk, he’s besides "glad it’s over."

Pasquale said he kept a transcript of Teddy Roosevelt’s "The Man successful nan Arena" connected hand.

"I person nary regrets astir doing it," he said. "I decidedly learned a batch astir myself [and] nan world astir me." 

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He described nan travel arsenic a "rollercoaster of emotions nan full measurement through."

One of nan astir difficult obstacles, he noted, was being distant from his family during nan holidays. 

At nan time, Pasquale was halfway done nan travel location adjacent Dallas, Texas — and nan upwind was "cold arsenic each hell," he said.

"As bully arsenic it felt to beryllium astir halfway done, [I] really had a agelong measurement to go," he added.

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Even pinch Pasquale’s sometimes daunting and agelong roadworthy up — including nan occidental godforsaken landscape, which presented him pinch beingness challenges — he was still capable to mentally push through.

"It was awesome to spot Americans helping retired different Americans."

He said he kept his mind progressive by listening to state music, Bruce Springsteen classics and "The Will Cain Podcast."

Pasquale said he besides kept a transcript of Teddy Roosevelt’s "The Man successful nan Arena" connected hand.

One of his favourite artists to perceive to during his locomotion was Tom Petty and nan Heartbreakers, Pasquale said. Above, he checks retired nan band's prima connected nan Hollywood Walk of Fame successful Hollywood, California. (Nico Rispoli)

A adjacent friend gave him a transcript of nan reside connected nan time he near Manasquan; he publication it "every clip I sewage down," he said.

"I was capable to prime myself backmost up aft reference it," he said.

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"I wouldn’t person near [New Jersey and headed west] if I wasn’t assured successful being capable to finish," he added of nan cross-country trek. 

"Through those debased points, I really had to excavation heavy and benignant of find it successful myself."

Pasquale emphasized really generous Americans were crossed nan state on his route.

A fewer friends of different friend he’d met successful Knoxville, Tennessee, helped location him for a week once he reached Nashville — a awesome extremity Pasquale considered a "high point" of nan full trip.

Tommy Pasquale stops astatine American Legion Post 330 successful Culpeper, Virginia. (Tommy Pasquale)

"It really warmed my bosom that I was capable to make caller friends successful Jack and Luke," he said, indicating nan 2 caller friends. 

"People were very adjuvant nan full measurement through."

He added, "It was awesome to spot Americans helping retired different Americans."

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While Pasquale’s ngo was to raise money and consciousness for bum veterans, he saw for himself the "homeless problems" successful each awesome metropolis he passed through.

"We unrecorded successful nan top state successful nan world. We decidedly person our problems, but we decidedly person it bully here."

"It is simply a problem," he said. 

"I’m happy I tin do thing to thief out, moreover if it's a very mini part," he said.

On his travel "from oversea to sparkling sea," Pasquale learned that sloppy of governmental affiliation aliases nan authorities of nan country, Americans "have it good" present successful nan United States.

Tommy Pasquale walked from New Jersey to California connected his ain to raise money for nan National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. He has respective veterans and active-duty subject successful his adjacent circles, he said.  (Nico Rispoli)

"We unrecorded successful nan greatest state successful nan world," he said. "We decidedly person our problems, but we decidedly person it bully here."

He continued, "The much we’re capable to get on pinch each different and thief 1 different out, nan amended disconnected we’ll each be."

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Now that Pasquale is nestled backmost into "normal" life successful New Jersey, he plans to constitute a book utilizing nan diary entries he kept during his locomotion on nan unfastened road.

Donations for veterans tin still beryllium made astatine GoFundMe and nan Tommy Walks America info page astatine linktr.ee/tommy_pasquale.