Gabriel Golden told The Press a group of six hikers recently gathered in the VFW Post 7215, Walnutport.

They had all heard about the Warrior Hike program, founded by Earl Shaffer in 1948 to help returning soldiers “walk off the war.”

Shaffer was the first person to through-hike the Appalachian Trail.

Sean Gobin, now director of the program and considered a founder, formalized the program into a nonprofit under the name Warrior Hike.

A Marine who served in Iraq twice and once in Afghanistan, he was named a 2015 CNN Hero.

The program is not limited to the Appalachian Trail but includes seven of the major hiking trails in the country.

Equipment and supplies are provided by Warrior Hike.

Trail towns, some of which provide hostels for hikers, are coordinated with arrangements made with veterans’ organizations such as the VFW, American Legion and Marine Corps League when possible.

However, most nights the hikers camp out in tents provided by Warrior Hike.

The object, to help returning veterans decompress from their military service, is a form of outdoor therapy helping the soldiers reintegrate into civilian society.

Some learned about Warrior Hike on the Web. Others heard about it from fellow hikers.

The six began their hike at Springer Mountain, Ga. At the time the group visited Walnutport, they were 3-1/2 months into the trail and expected to reach Katahdin, Maine, by Sept. 11.

Golden said the VFW helped him with his disability claim. Gobin donates a one-year membership in the VFW to every Warrior Hike participant.

One of the hikers, named Joel, said every other day he thinks of leaving the trail.

“But with these guys, its nice to go because there is a commonality,” Joel said. “I’ve spent all my time seeing how good people are.”

“What we really came here for was to find what we want to do after the military,” Hiker Caitlin said.

She will be moving to New Jersey where her daughter Pailyn, 4, is with family.

“I want to be an adventure photographer,” she said. “That’s what I got from the trip so far.”

Chaplain Dennis Newton hiked the entire route with them but was not at the VFW.

He was expected to attend the dinner for the hikers.