Seventy-six miles.
That’s how far Navy veteran Tina Casanova plans to run next month in honor of Spc. Vanessa Guillen, the Army soldier whose murder in Fort Hood, Texas last year sparked the military’s #MeToo movement.
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Guillen was reported missing on April 22, 2020, and her remains were found on June 30 -- 76 days later.
Guillen told her family she faced sexual harassment before her disappearance. When law enforcement attempted to arrest another soldier in connection with her death, he fled and died by suicide. A former military spouse has also been charged in connection with her death.
Casanova said she felt an almost immediate sisterhood to Guillen when she heard her story last year. Casanova said she was sexually assaulted while serving in the Navy more than 10 years ago.
“It happened to me,” she told Connecting Vets.
Casanova never reported the assault. She instead turned to running, which she credited with helping her heal from the experience.
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“I thought I could reason and fight my way through it,” she said. “Silence is not strength.”
Casanova said Guillen’s story provides her with everything she needs to undertake the run in her honor. Her start date, April 22, and how far she will run.
Her run is about something bigger than simply the number of miles she will log, Casanova said.
“Hopefully, this will help to get the conversation going and keep it going,” she said.
Casanova plans to begin her run at Fort Sam Houston, where her Navy enlistment began, and end it in Austin.
While in the Texas capital, Casanova said she hopes to advocate for the creation of new laws and penalties to honor those who have been sexually assaulted and harassed while in the military.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.
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