Vietnam vet walking to D.C. from North Carolina in protest of jailed Marine

REIDSVILLE, N.C., Sept. 7 (UPI) -- Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi is a 26-year-old Marine who was arrested on March 31 while crossing the Mexican border because he was carrying a pistol, a shotgun, an AR-15 rifle and ammo. He had not intended to cross the border, but he made a wrong turn and accidentally ended up in Mexico.

Terry Sharpe is a North Carolina Vietnam veteran who has decided to walk along Highway 29, which will take him through Virginia on his way to Washington, D.C. He's making the journey in protest of Tahmooressi's arrest, which he sees as being jailed for simply making a mistake while navigating the road. Tahmooressi has been in the Mexican prison for six months thus far.

"The first two nights, since I'm not far from home, my wife will pick me up so I can go back home overnight and then take me back to where I stopped," Sharpe said. "After that, it's the bushes."

"Free Sergeant Tahmooressi March to Washington" is the name Sharpe has chosen for his cause, and Sharpe says he believes Tahmooressi should be receiving medical help, as he suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.