12 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015
Local
Captain America’s visit
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Since 2009, he’s been
on a mission, walking
across the continental
U.S., volunteering to help
homeless veterans in any
way he can, while rais-
ing awareness about the
issues regarding homeless-
ness. “On my 5,000 mile
walk (on back roads from
Jacksonville, Mississippi
to Manhattan, New York,
a walk that took a year
to complete), I’ve seen a
lot of homeless Vietnam
veterans,” he said, ex-
plaining that the majority
of homeless veterans he
encountered served during
that war.
Mullins said that part
of the inspiration for this
journey came from observ-
ing that, while a “thank
you for your service” to a
homeless veteran, or verbal
support of some sort is ap-
preciated, it isn’t enough.
He relayed a story about
seeing some homeless vet-
erans camping underneath
an interstate bridge, noting
that a motorist pulled up
to thank one of them for
having served, a veteran
in poor physical condition
with inadequate clothing,
without offering further
help.
“To hell with this verbal
support. It doesn’t do
anything for them. I need
to physically do something
for them,” Mullins said.
He said that he’s found
religion along the way, and
started reading and study-
ing the Bible, a copy of
which he carries with him
along with his other gear.
He said it became clear to
him that verbal support is
self-righteousness, accord-
ing to his understanding,
and it doesn’t accomplish
much, and that his true
calling is to help homeless
veterans.
In 2009, Mullins, from
Dalton, Georgia, sold his
home through auction,
donating the proceeds
to the Wounded Warrior
Foundation, and purposely
causing himself to become
homeless in the process.
Prior to that, he worked as
a house framer for 10 years
for a company called Jack
of All Trades, and said his
boss, a veteran himself
and a “big Christian,” gave
a major helping hand to
many homeless veterans
by providing a job at a
competitive wage.
In January 2010, after
completing his 5,000 mile
journey that ended in Man-
hattan, Mullins walked
from Manhattan to Nash-
ville, Tennessee, in order to
begin a “state capital” trek
across the U.S., completing
that particular mission in
2014.
His current walk, which
includes all state capitals
once again, landed Mullins
in Baker City, during Min-
er’s Jubilee last weekend,
on his way to Boise, Idaho,
the next state capital on his
list. “I don’t want anything
for doing this,” he said,
explaining that he doesn’t
receive money from the
VFW or another entity for
this walk, it was solely his
idea, and that he’s reluctant
to accept any donations for
himself for food, unless
there is a donation also
made to VFW Post 4217.
He said representatives of
VFW Post 4217 provided
him with 500 envelopes at
fi rst, addressed directly to
the post, and they weren’t
exactly convinced his idea
would bring in much in
donations, but they became
more encouraged once
they saw the continuing
response.
On his journey, he’s been
to VFW and American
Legion posts, where he’s
discussed homelessness
issues and volunteered, and
received food donations,
for example, in addition to
receiving some help with
his own basic needs while
out on the road.
Since he lacks funds to
offer homeless veterans,
one of the major ways he’s
helped is by “being their
sign for the day,” some-
thing he’s done hundreds
of times, which helped
increase donations from
motorists and others to the
veterans at street intersec-
tions, for example, he said.
It hasn’t been an easy
journey, and he hasn’t been
accepted everywhere, he
said.
He wears a Captain
America costume every
day (one of two he owns),
including the blue mask,
because of the message of
associated patriotism, and
the high visibility, and he
carries an American fl ag.
He doesn’t currently
carry a shield, because
they’ve been stolen on at
least 30 different occa-
sions, he said.
One theft occurred
while he held the shield in
his arm and was sleep-
ing, though the fact that
someone was able to get
that close to him while he
slept bothered him more
than the act of taking the
shield.
In full
bloom
Submitted Photo.
Cindy Fuller of Baker City submitted this photo of
what she called a “volunteer sunfl ower.” The plant
simply sprang up in her yard and now has over 145
buds on it. She counted 50 fl owers in either near- or
full-bloom.
Submitted Photo.
Bo Hansen with son, Zane, got to meet Captain
America on Wednesday at Clark Auto Electric.
He talked about the is-
sues out on the road. He’s
been arrested 32 times
for “parading without a
permit,” he’s dealt with
extremes in weather, he’s
been hassled, he’s been
fl ipped off, and he’s been
cursed at, he said.
In Texas, a motorist
tried to hit him, and when
he tried to jump out of the
way, he fractured his left
foot. Last year, he had a
heat stroke in California,
and he has a scar above his
left eye where someone
had hit him with a glass
bottle.
He wears sneakers, and
he said that a pair usually
lasts one to two months,
his walk averaging about
100 miles a week (he aver-
aged about 25 miles a day
before his foot fracture).
He said he’s lost height
and weight, formerly at
6’2” and 245 pounds, and
now, he sits at 6’ and 196
pounds.
On a more positive note,
Mullins said that surpris-
ingly, experiences out on
I-84 with the Oregon State
Police (OSP) have been
encouraging. He had a
liter bottle of water and a
breakfast bar given to him
earlier Friday morning by
offi cers of OSP, and he
said, “They’ve actually
been watching my back.”
He said OSP offi cers have
told him to inform them
if he encountered any
problems while out on the
interstate, and they’ve even
donated to his cause.
The Best Western/Sun-
ridge even gave Mullins a
room, and Flagstaff Sports
arranged a bicycle for him.
Mullins said he plans to
make it back to Chattanoo-
ga, Tennessee sometime
this year, to start a family
with his girlfriend of three
years, a certifi ed chef, and
to lay to rest his mother,
who is on life support.
To learn more about
Mullins’ cause, including
updates on his progress,
log onto his blog at cap-
tainwalkingwithamerica.
wordpress.com.
Donations can be sent
directly to VFW Post 4217,
Commander T. Calhoun,
P.O. Box 872, Warm
Springs, Oregon 97761.
Wicked
Ways
Masquerade Ball
HALLOWEEN NIGHT 2015
at the historic Geiser Grand
Tickets are just $20 each.
Buy yours today at the front desk of
The Geiser Grand Hotel or online at
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Book signings • Carriage rides
Gothic specialty cocktails •
Limited theme menu
Music and dancing
Special TAPS family “reveal” for
ticketholders only!
And announcing paranormal romance
authors Kimberly Adkins and Angela Steed
as special guests for a meet and greet with
book signing.
Get your tickets now before they’re gone!