Wow.The trip has been amazing, wonderful, heartbreaking, indescribable, peaceful, and everything in between. Every mile is humbling, and every mile makes me pause and reflect. I smile.On June 17, I ran with Greg Oliver and Chris Bates, both retired service members, and running for service members like Jesse Alan Givens, who was highlighted in “A Final Salute”, left me speechless.There are so many moments and positive things the team has to share throughout the day that it would impossible to place them all here. From running with Chris and Amy McIntyre who flew down from San Francisco to run for Capt. Tim McGovern (KIA Oct. 31, 2007) to meeting Joe & Laura Landaker, parents of 1st Lt. Jared M. Landaker (KIA Feb. 7, 2007), to today’s beautiful sunrise near Warner Springs, CA I am so very grateful. The team has so many more moments to share too. We have been focused on running, and we have now run for over 300 service members.My apologies for not updating the blog with regular frequency. In running with the heat, preparing for the next day, and staying focused, we will update when we can. Thank you for your patience.All the best. Please continue to tell your story.
Today we had the wonderful opportunity to meet the parents of 1st Lt. Jared M. Landaker.
From left to right: Jon Bellona, Ian Lawson, Shauna Sweet, Ben Thorne, Joe Landaker, and Chris Bates.
Running through Big Bear Lake, we ran on Route 38 towards Fawnskin, which was commissioned in honor of 1st Lt. Jared M. Landaker. The ten mile stretch of highway was dedicated on May 5, 2008, just two days after Jared’s 27th birthday. Joe Landaker met us on his motorcycle, rode with us to Jared’s sign, and posed with us for this picture. We accepted Joe’s invitation to the house, where he entertained us with stories about Jared and the Run for the Wall.
Jared flew CH-46 helicopters in Iraq, and his helo was credited with saving 91 lives. Jared and six others were shot down on Feb. 7, 2007. Jared’s parents, Joe and Laura, help establish Seven Stars Foundation in honor of those killed in that crash. We will run for Jared on August 5, near Noah, TN.
Both Joe and Laura are two very special people, and we are proud to run for Jared Landaker.
Each day, we will randomly highlight one service member’s life, and include links and stories. We choose to never forget, and this is our way, before the run, to remember our fallen service members.
From futons to recliners, Lucas A. Frantz somehow seemed to break several pieces of furniture just by sitting in them. While in the Army, he managed to break a cot as well. “Lucas is a big guy,” said his wife, Kelly. “Everybody knew that about him. He just would kind of break stuff.” Frantz, 22, of Tonganoxie, Kan., was killed Oct. 18 by a sniper in Mosul. A 2002 high school graduate, he was assigned to Fort Wainwright. Frantz was an offensive lineman and linebacker in high school and wanted to become a police officer when he finished his military service. He joined the Army Reserve a week after he turned 17. “He was a coach’s dream because of his dedication,” said Mark Elston, Lucas’ former coach. “When he put the helmet on, he was ready to scrap it out, but when he took the helmet off, you couldn’t ask for a better kid.” On their first date as teenagers, Lucas and Kelly, walked around the high school’s football track together until 3 a.m. They’d met while stocking cat food at the local grocery store. “That was just Lucas. He was so comforting to be around and so easy to be with,” said Kelly’s mother, Pam Jeannin.
Information for this story was acquired from In Remembrance.
We will run for Lucas on July 17, 2008 outside Medford, Oklahoma.
Additional links where you may learn more about Lucas.
Faces of the Fallen
In Remembrance
Zeitlangers
Each day, we will randomly highlight one service member’s life, and include links and stories. We choose to never forget, and this is our way, before the run, to remember our fallen service members.
When Jesse Lhotka showed up for a blind date holding a single white rose, his future wife thought he was too young for her _ six years her junior. But he proved to be extraordinarily mature, having helped his single mother raise five younger siblings. The couple wed in September, just before Lhotka left for Iraq. “Jesse, you are the best thing that ever happened to me,” his widow, Stacey, said in a letter read at his funeral. Lhotka, 24, helped evacuate two soldiers whose Humvee had flipped over before he became one of three Minnesota National Guardsmen killed by a roadside blast Feb. 21. The Alexandria, Minn., native was based in Montevideo, Minn. As a kid, Lhotka built tree forts, created plays and invented games for his siblings. He played football in high school and was class president during his sophomore and senior years. He joined the National Guard in 1999, and it helped pay his way through St. Cloud State University. He graduated with a degree in finance and was working as a credit analyst for a leasing company before leaving for Iraq. In a letter read at his funeral, his mother thanked him for all of his love and respect, and for bringing Stacey into the family. “I still have six children, and now one angel,” she wrote.
Information for this story was acquired from In Remembrance.
We will run for Jesse on July 9, 2008 outside Grenville, New Mexico.
Additional links where you may learn more about Jesse.
Faces of the Fallen
In Remembrance
Zeitlangers
Each day, we will randomly highlight one service member’s life, and include links and stories. We choose to never forget, and this is our way, before the run, to remember our fallen service members.
Stephen P. Baldwyn wanted to become a Marine so he could see the world. “He wanted adventure,” said his mother, Stephanie. Baldwyn, 19, of Saltillo, Miss., was killed May 9 while conducting combat operations in Nasser Wa Salaam. He was based at Camp Lejeune. Baldwyn earned his Eagle Scout badge before graduating from high school in 2004 and leaving for boot camp. “He was a real energetic kid,” said high school principal Robert Smith. “He loved his community and his country.” Baldwyn e-mailed Smith from Iraq about how he was helping the people of Iraq rebuild their country. “He was more than willing to go. He was a very patriotic kid,” Smith said. Baldwyn is survived by his parents, Danny and Stephanie Baldwyn.
Information for this story was acquired from In Remembrance.
We will run for Stephen on July 11, 2008 outside Dalhart, Texas.
Additional links where you may learn more about Stephen.
Faces of the Fallen
In Remembrance
Zeitlangers
