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LEHI — Flying helicopters is something Jonathan Walker never worried about during his 7 1/2 years of military service. But the night before he was going to walk out on a bridge, he couldn’t sleep a wink.
“It kept me up all night. I felt for years I needed to do something," Walker said.
This past Veterans Day, Walker did it. In full dress Army uniform, carrying an American flag, he walked onto an I-15 overpass in Lehi and started saluting drivers as they passed underneath.
“I stepped up there, and just as I got to the bridge I kind of hesitated," Walker recalled. "I didn't know how people were going to take it. I could hear cars going behind me, slowing down and people staring at me and wondering what I was doing. ... It was awkward for a while."
Almost immediately, though, drivers started beeping at him in support. Some even went onto the overpass to meet him, shake his hand and say thank you. Many told Walker he reminded them of why Veterans Day is so important.
“I wanted to do something, something a little different. I wanted to make Veterans Day stand out a little bit,” Walker said. “A veteran is a little bit like a unicorn: it's a mythical creature (people have) seen on TV, but they've never, ever met a man in uniform and shook their hand."
Many drivers called media stations to try and find out who the man was and why he was standing on the bridge. At the time, though, he wanted to remain anonymous.
“I don't want anybody to know who I am if I can help it,” Walker politely told KSL News on Nov. 11.
However, later that night, Walker started reading Internet message boards about the man standing on the bridge and how he inspired so many people. He thought about it for a few days and decided to reveal his identity.
I want other veterans and other people to experience what I had; and so, as much as I wanted to slip back into the shadows and disappear forever, it's too big. It's bigger than me.
–Jonathan Walker, Army veteran
“I want other veterans and other people to experience what I had,” Walker said, "and so, as much as I wanted to slip back into the shadows and disappear forever, it's too big. It's bigger than me.”
Walker wants to do something bigger next Veterans Day — maybe have a bunch of veterans on that bridge, or possibly a veteran on every overpass in Utah, even if only for an hour.
After reading some ideas people posted online, Walker decided the only way to organize something was to step forward. He knew he needed to make next year even bigger.
“I don't want to be that guy, but I am that guy now," Walker said. "And now that I'm that guy, I'm not going to back down."
By stepping out of his comfort zone and onto that bridge, Walker found his purpose.
“I’m just a small piece," he said. "We need to have veterans, and so much more help. I’m just the guy trying to coordinate it."
If you would like to contact Walker, he created a website to try and organize ideas. His website is www.standingquietly.com