According to former Marine infantryman Matt Littrell, even after returning to the States from combat, there’s still a “long trail home” for many of the men and women serving their country.

As a result, he decided to take up a unique endeavor, riding horseback across the country to raise funds for the Semper Fi Fund, an organization dedicated to supporting troops suffering from injuries both external and internal.

According to Littrell, his decision to make this ride came from a personal experience upon returning home.

Littrell served from December 2001 to December 2005. When he returned home, however, it wasn’t simply a matter of sliding back into his old life.

“We’re losing 22 veterans a day to suicide and, one night, I almost became one of those 22,” Littrell explained.

“I decided not to do it and actually called up the VA crisis line, where I talked to someone who was reading from a script and didn’t give a damn if I was going to see tomorrow or not.”

That moment, Littrell decided that he had the ability to make a difference for other veterans himself, and decided to start a fundraising campaign.

As a result, he came up with “The Long Trail Home.” Leaving Camp Lejeune, N.C., on May 1 and heading for Camp Pendleton, Calif., Littrell’s goal is to raise $7 million for the cause. This ride is only the start of his efforts, so far raising $64,749 (as of this writing).

Utilizing a team of horses and relying on the support of kind individuals along the way, Littrell’s journey is reaching the home stretch, cutting through Fountain Hills on Tuesday morning, Oct. 28.

If you happened to notice a few horses making their way down Shea Blvd. with a police escort last week, now you know the story behind it.

Appropriately enough, Littrell relied on the hospitality of the Shea family of Goldfield Ranch while staying in the area, providing room and board, as well as company for a leg of his journey.

Littrell said that sort of kindness has followed him across the country.

“The response has been fantastic,” Littrell said.

“People have come out in force every step of the way. They’ve truly made this all possible. Without the help of everyday, ordinary people, we wouldn’t have made it.”

For those interested in supporting Littrell’s cause, The Long Trail Home can be funded by searching for the project name on semperfifund.org. You can also find a link to the funding page, as well as follow Littrell’s adventure, by going to facebook.com/Thelongtrailhome.

“We go overseas and we fight, and then we come back to our hometowns,” Littrell said.

“But so many times, we’re still there in our heads. This ride is all about helping people go home.”