Published: June 28, 2007 11:08 am         

Walking for peace

Husband and wife on mission to stop the war one step at a time

For Bill McDannell, there are 3,568 reasons to walk an anti-war petition more than 3,000 miles across the United States to the nation’s capital.

The reasons are the number of U.S. soldiers killed in four years of war in Iraq, a war that McDannell believes should be stopped. He is carrying a petition to end that war. On Wednesday, McDannell walked through Logansport along Market Street and out of town on the narrow shoulder of Logansport Road.

The coast-to-coast walk is McDannell’s attempt to get people to think about what U.S. elected officials are doing in the Middle East. “Is this American?” he asks. He thinks not.

“Just look at the war and consider logic, reason and ethics,” McDannell said.

Besides stopping the war, the petition also calls for balance to be restored in the legislative and executive branches of U.S. government and different tactics on fighting terrorism.

“You cannot declare war on an idea,” McDannell said. Doing so means the United States could be in a perpetual state of war.

He wants Congress to confess that the U.S. is not at war and take away the war powers from President Bush.



The trip



To make the trip possible, McDannell and his wife, Jonna, sold everything they owned and bought a 23-year-old camper that serves as their support vehicle and home on wheels. As they travel, Jonna goes ahead a few miles and he walks to catch up with her. She takes care of the camper and their two Shetland sheepdogs, Finn and Spoof. Jonna also cooks.

“Walking is the easy part,” McDannell said.

They had never set foot in a camper before buying the one they call Nessie. The learning curve was steep, McDannell said. The motorhome is stuffed to the brim. He said it’s a 39-step process to get to sleep.

McDannell walks through the heat of the day.

“You’d have sworn I had jumped in a pool,” he said of the Indiana humidity. He is on the road seven to 10 hours a day and averages 17.1 miles. More recently he has been getting more than 20 miles a day. He does not walk at night or when it rains.

Two pair of identical New Balance tennis shoes will get him all the way across the country. The right gear is a must. “If you would have told me I’d be paying $15 for a pair of socks, I would have said you’re out of you’re mind,” McDannell said.



Power of one



McDannell, a former United Methodist pastor, a father of five and grandfather of four, still believes in the power of one.

“This country still belongs to the people,” McDannell said.

When in Washington, D.C., he intends to remind elected officials of that fact.

McDannell has been walking since Nov. 4, the day he departed his Lakeside, Calif., home. As of Wednesday morning, he had completed 2,540 miles.

Once he reaches the nation’s capital, McDannell plans on spending some time there “talking with anyone who has the guts to talk to us.”

The couple made camp at France Park before the rain moved in Tuesday. They started Wednesday’s walk where he had ended the day before. They did laundry in town. While there, they got into a discussion about the war. As with most encounters, McDannell said, the response was positive.

He said the two most common responses to his cross-country trip are “How do I sign the petition?” and “God bless you.”

People often join him along the way to walk and talk. Eric Thompson of Logansport walked with McDannell through town. Thompson completed five years in the military. He supports the troops and McDannell’s efforts to end the war.

“It’s just wrong,” he said.

Thompson read an article on McDannell and has been keeping tabs on him throughout the journey via his Web site.

McDannell is confident that one person can make a change.

“I don’t know if I’m that person, but it may inspire someone else who is,” McDannell said. “There are things worth taking risks for, and this is one of them.”

Want to help?

Bill and Jonna McDannell sold their house and most of their belongs to pursue their cause. Now they are nearly out of money and still have hundreds of miles to go. Those interested in donating can do so by visiting the Walk to End the Wars Web site at www.wtetw.com or by calling Bill as he walks at (619) 792-5292. The petition, a travel journal and their manifesto is also online.

Kevin Lilly can be reached at (574) 732-5117, or via e-mail at kevin.lilly@pharostribune.com