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John Hollenhorst ReportingA Utah soldier began a long march today, down the entire length of the state, to call attention to the war in Iraq. His view of the war, though, may be different from what you might expect.
We've heard so many departing and returning soldiers speak up in favor of the war, it's easy to forget the troops are not in lock-step. Sgt. Marshall Thompson thinks the war was a terrible mistake and hopes his walk will help lead to a way out.
Sgt. Marshall Thompson started his walk in the rain on the Utah-Idaho border.
Sgt. Marshall Thompson, Army Reservist: "So far we've had lots of support."
Walking the first leg with a former teacher, he's on a honk and wave campaign. He'll walk the length of Utah to the Arizona border, 500 miles, to generate publicity and spread a message.
Sgt. Marshall Thompson, Army Reservist: "My goal is to raise awareness and to let Utah know and let the United States know that we can start withdrawing troops immediately. There's never been a better time to start a responsible withdrawal from Iraq."
He left Iraq a month ago. Talking to all sides in the conflict convinced him the US military presence is not the solution, it's the problem.
Sgt. Marshall Thompson: "Most of the violence is caused by the US presence."
The troops are a magnet for insurgent violence, he says, and the war was a mistake.
Sgt. Marshall Thompson: "We all share the blame. We all need to forgive each other and work for a real solution to get out."
He plans to spread the walk out over 27 days. That's one day for every 100 American soldiers killed in Iraq.
Sgt. Marshall Thompson: "I started out doing 26 days, but since we planned this project the American deaths have exceeded 2,700."
Along his route, a like-minded group led by Quakers set out dozens of empty combat boots.
Patrick Easterling, Quaker: "I would hope it would bring home the human pain and suffering. And it certainly brought it home to me."
Sgt. Marshall Thompson: "I know some people are going to react negatively. I'm sure they're out there. But for the most part we've had such a positive response, I think people would be amazed."
Sgt. Thompson will follow Highway 89 much of the way, and he expects to pass through the Salt Lake Valley on Saturday.
You can follow his progress on his website at soldierspeace.com.
