Marine vet walking from Norfolk to DC

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - U.S. Marine Corps veteran Walker Burtschell kicked-off his planned walk from Hampton Roads to Washington, DC, on Thursday at the MacArthur Memorial in Norfolk.

Burtschell, who was discharged under the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, is walking the 250 miles to meet with Senators and Congressmen to advocate for the repeal of that policy.  He started Thursday at the Virginia Beach office of Senator Jim Webb.

Earlier this year, Pentagon leaders announced support for repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," but want to move slowly to ensure the changes won't hurt the military's effectiveness. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates ordered a review, due Dec. 1, on how the military would implement a repeal, should Congress change the law.

Legistation is now in front of both the House and the Senate to repeal the policy.

In April, the Associated Press obtained a letter from Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen that warned Congress not to tamper with the ban on gays serving openly in the military until they can come up with a plan for dealing with potential opposition in the ranks.

Burtschell's walk is sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign.