VISTA, Calif. — On Sunday at noon in Washington D.C., a veteran Marine from Vista will stand at attention for 24 hours straight in honor of Memorial Day Weekend.
Tim Chambers is known as "The Saluting Marine", but his story about service started long ago. I met Tim at his home in Vista where I asked him.
"What do people call you?" I asked.
Tim told me, "Well, in the beginning, it was just 'Tim.'"
He is 44 years old now, but when Tim Chambers was a teenager, he was his high school's mascot.
"It was 'the Silver Fox.' People would even respond to my mother, 'How is the fox doing?' not 'how is your son doing?' in town," said Tim.
After graduating, Tim switched uniforms and became a Marine.
"I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I have enthusiasm," said Tim.
In 2002, in Washington D.C., at an event called Rolling Thunder, Tim decided to salute veterans and hold that salute for four hours.
"So, for the first three or four years, I was 'unidentified Marine salutes bikers' in all of the newspapers and magazines. Then they got to know my name and that was cool. They'd ride by me and say 'Chambers,'" said Tim.
He became known as the The Saluting Marine.
I asked him, "What is your message?"
He told me, "I did not go to war and I feel like I need to honor the eternal sacrifice of those that did and those who didn't come home."
Staff Sergeant Tim Chambers didn't go to war, but he did serve his country for 16 years.
I asked him, "Is this political?"
He told me, "No, if it was, there would be no value. This is just about bringing us together as a country. Not much unifies us these days."
On Sunday, at either the White House or the Lincoln Memorial, Tim will stand at attention for 24 hours straight.
He said, "I am going to be saluting for 22 minutes for the first hour, 21 minutes for the second hour, 20 minutes of the third hour all the way to the last hour."
He says a 22 minute salute brings awareness to the 22 veterans who on average commit suicide every day.
One look in his eyes and you can clearly see deeply cares about this.
"I've seen people not be respected," he said.
That's why The Saluting Marine wants to struggle for 24 hours.
"10 seconds of silence at events? Okay? Was it really felt?" he asked. "There [are] a lot of ways to serve our country."
Staff Sergeant Chambers is asking for a pledge of $0.25 an hour for a total of six dollars. If you'd like to help you can Google #TSM24 or go to his Facebook page.
