Local veteran John Stoczynski started Veterans Day with a walk at 6 a.m.

He ended his walk nine hours and 25 miles later.

Stoczynski, of Tomah, walked around the Tomah High School track on Wednesday in an effort to raise funds and awareness for the Tomah Veterans Memorial. By 10:30, he had already circled the track 57 times — just over 14 miles.

Stoczynski is a father of three and works for the Wisconsin Army National Guard at Camp Williams on Volk Field. He returned to Tomah in June after serving in Afghanistan. When he returned, he noticed the sign in Butts Park indicating the future site of the Veterans Memorial.

“I was driving by the (Veterans Memorial) sign (in Butts Park) each day,” Stoczynski said during his walk on Wednesday. “The gauge (for donations) wasn’t raising much, and I thought about how I could help.”

As Veterans Day is a federal holiday, Stoczynski had the day off on Wednesday and set out to walk, rain or shine. As he walked, he talked about veterans of all generations and his experience at a United States Marine Corps birthday celebration at the TeePee Supper Club that he had attended the night before.

He took pledges for miles walked as well as flat donations for the memorial. In addition to fundraising, he also wanted to pay tribute to other veterans and raise awareness for the memorial and its fundraising needs.

Stoczynski’s wife was with him at the start of his walk, and friends attended along the way. He had snacks and water throughout the day and had to go into the high school to use the “latrine.” He kept track of his laps with dashes on a marker board. He also kept a count of passing cars that honked in support. By 11 a.m., he was up to 37 honks.

“There is a lot of support, and I’ve got people keeping me company,” he said. “I said rain or shine. I made a commitment for pledges, and I am going to deliver.”

As Stoczynski walked, he also wore his uniform. The combat uniform weighed approximately 18 pounds. With the helmet, boots and all, Stoczynski had only slowed a little after five hours.

“He’s been in (the military) 34 years, he is a three-combat tour vet and he is still doing it,” Lt. Colonel David Rhodes of the Army Reserve at Fort McCoy said of Stoczynski as he joined him on the track Wednesday. “It is amazing he is still doing it. We always say that the real heroes are the families.”

Stoczynski has served active duty in the Marine Corps (1976-1979) and the Marine Corps Reserve (1980-1985), with various units of the Wisconsin National Guard around the state. He is a logistics officer with the rank of Major. He served in Operation Desert Shield/Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He presently drills in Milwaukee with the 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade.