Approximately 22 veterans lose their lives to suicide every day, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. That number didn’t sit well with Chicagoan Joe Trainor Jr. and fellow veteran Dan Spangler.

So they drafted up a plan to walk across the nation with nothing more than 50 dollars, the shoes on their feet and their dogs. They’ve dubbed the trip “Operation Keep Your Spanky,” in honor of Spangler’s dog, who he says saved his life.

The two veterans left the gates of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina on April 26th and expect to complete their 6,000 mile trek on Memorial Day, May 25th.

WBEZ’s Yun Tai, an Iraq War veteran himself, caught up with the two vets when they passed through Chicago.