Community · Royal Oak
Royal Oak Veterans Day 2026: Ruck 22 march Nov. 7 and the ceremony Nov. 11 at Centennial Commons
ROYAL OAK — Royal Oak will honor veterans twice in the next 11 days: with its Ruck 22 March on Saturday, Nov. 7, and its Veterans Day service on Wednesday, Nov. 11. Both are held at the Royal Oak War Memorial in Barbara A. Hallman Memorial Plaza at Centennial Commons.
The ruck march starts at 10 a.m. The Veterans Day service begins at 11 a.m., the hour the World War I armistice took effect, at or near the memorial at Troy and Second streets, according to the city. Neither listing mentions a fee.
Ruck 22: what it is and what to carry
A ruck march is a military-style endurance walk at a brisk pace while carrying weight. Soldiers typically carry at least 45 pounds of gear, the city notes. Royal Oak’s version is shorter on purpose: participants walk or march 2.2 miles carrying 22 pounds, or 22 food or personal items, to raise awareness of veterans in crisis. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
The number 22 comes from the often-cited estimate that 22 veterans a day die by suicide in the United States, the city says. The Michigan Municipal League, in a June profile of the event, described it as the statistic when the march began.
Donated food and personal items go to Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 154, which supports veterans and their families, and money raised goes to local organizations that help veterans. The city’s list of needed items includes coats, pants and shoes; blankets, sheets and towels; toiletries; canned and dry food; diapers and baby clothes; feminine hygiene products; gloves, hats and scarves; first aid supplies; school supplies; and books, puzzles, toys and games for veterans’ children.
A small budget and a growing crowd
The march is close to a decade old. About 250 people take part each year, and veterans from other cities travel in for it, city community engagement specialist Judy Davids told the league. Over the years it has raised thousands of dollars for the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center in Detroit and filled nine trailers with food for the Vietnam Veterans chapter, the league reported.
The city runs its veterans events through an appointed Veterans Events Committee instead of leaving them to volunteers who must raise money on their own. The committee’s budget comes from the city’s general fund and is $5,000 a year, according to the league. A bakery supplies doughnuts and Biggby supplies coffee. “We don’t need any money to put toward this event anymore,” Davids said. The one thing organizers ask for is boxes to hold the donations.
The mayor and city commissioners usually walk, Davids said, and they march quietly with everyone else rather than giving speeches.
Veterans Day: the names are read
At the Nov. 11 service, the names on the Royal Oak War Memorial are read aloud. The memorial lists servicemembers from the Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. “We have 189 individuals in Royal Oak who gave their lives and service to our country,” Davids told the league. “It’s our promise to them that we’ll never forget them.”
Veterans in crisis, or anyone worried about one, can reach the Veterans Crisis Line by dialing 988 and pressing 1.
Sources:
City of Royal Oak, Veterans Events Committee (Ruck 22 March date, time, place, rules and donation list; Veterans Day Service time and place), https://romi.gov/492/Veterans-Events-Committee
Michigan Municipal League, Ariel Ryan, “With Ruck-22, Royal Oak Shows Support for Veterans,” June 12, 2026 (participation, donations, budget, Davids quotes), https://mml.org/blog/resources-research/blog/2026/06/12/with-ruck-22-royal-oak-shows-support-for-veterans/
Veterans Crisis Line (dial 988, press 1), https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/
Photo: Cpl. Austin Riel / U.S. Army, “Lightning Focus 22- Ruck March (7094585),” Wikimedia Commons, public domain, cropped, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lightning_Focus_22-_Ruck_March_(7094585).jpg
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