The K.I.A. Memorial Roadmarch (“KMR”) started when SGM Jason Jaskula wanted to find a way to honor the memory of his Battle Buddy, Christopher Dill. Chris, a Staff Sgt. in the United States Army Reserves as well as a Buffalo Firefighter, was Killed In Action (K.I.A.) while deployed during Operation Iraqi Freedom on April 4, 2005 in Diyala, Iraq. He left behind family and friends who deeply miss him. Chris is always at the forefront when planning the March, especially when creating the Squad Challenges. Jason can often be heard asking ‘What would Chris do’.

When Jason returned from Iraq he volunteered wherever he could to help local Veterans, assisting with events such as Department of Veteran Affairs ‘Welcome Home Troops’ event and the Olympic-themed ‘Veterans Golden Age Games’. He also became a Buffalo Veterans Court Mentor. Meeting the families of Veterans who did not come home, and returning veterans who also lost good friends, had a profound effect on Jason as worked through his own grief for Chris. In trying to find a way to honor Chris’ memory, he realized that there was no single public event in Western New York to honor service members K.I.A.

On November 23, 2012, Jason walked 22 kilometers carrying 60 pounds of rocks in his rucksack. Each rock displayed the name of a Military Member Killed in Action while in Iraq and Afghanistan from Western New York. Since then, the organization K.I.A. has raised 550,000 pounds of food for local Veterans and food pantries while honoring the now 331 Military Members Killed in Action since 9/11, from New York State. Our mission is to help Veterans in need while honoring the fallen.