By Jamie Martin
Eleven-year-old Guy Kroll has dedicated the month of May to honoring his late uncle, Ben Kroll, a military veteran who died in 2023 following a long battle with PTSD. Inspired by Ben’s own tradition, Guy runs 2.2 miles daily throughout May National Military Appreciation Month mirroring his uncle’s tribute to fallen soldiers.
“My uncle did this, and I wanted to do it,” said Guy. “My uncle, he would do 2.2 miles every day of May, wearing a backpack with the weight of what they would carry in war. And each day, he would run in a different place. He fought and lost his battle with PTSD, one he was battling for 17 years.”
Ben Kroll, who enlisted in the military on his 17th birthday in 2003, served from 2004 to 2007 and spent two years deployed in Afghanistan. PTSD affects around 12 million Americans, often triggered by traumatic experiences such as combat.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the average number of veteran suicides per day was 17.6 in 2022, a statistic that has sparked numerous awareness initiatives like Guy’s.
Guy’s mother, Samantha Horn, who is the Howard County Extension staff chair for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, explained how the experience opened deeper conversations with her son.
“We’ve been talking with him about how healthy living is not just exercising and going to baseball practice and doing his gardening. There are also mental health components that we are now talking about and sharing with him that are age appropriate.”
To engage others, Guy challenges his peers to complete 2.2 miles, 22 pushups or pull-ups, and share their efforts online with hashtags like #bensheart22 and #BH22.
Guy’s grandmother also hosts bi-monthly gatherings at Life House Church in Texarkana for families affected by PTSD. “It is a space for youth to come in, sit, make a craft and have a snack with other youth who are going through the same thing,” Horn said.
“Even a kid can be an influence and make a difference,” Kroll said. “I want to raise awareness about this, so other people don’t end up like him. If I’m not able to do 2.2 miles a day because I get home from baseball too late, I do 22 pull-ups or sit-ups, or you can do 22 minutes of prayer.”
Photo Credit: gettyimages-ben-goode
Categories: National