Run for the Fallen

July 24: Bolivar, MO to Camdenton, MO

As we ran into Bolivar, MO, we had a wonderful greeting by the town and the Beams of Light, an organization who supports our service members in Afghanistan and Iraq through letters, care packages, and donations. Once the team arrived into town, they treated us to the localpizza parlor, Breadeaux. One of their members, Evelyn, joined us for the first mile the next day to send us on our way.

After the run, we settled into our hotel, relaxed, and met up with John Holland and his family who were staying at the same hotel. John’s brother, Daniel, was killed May 18, 2006, and we all would run for his mile 2453 and memory the next day. One of the hotel workers, Rhonda, bought us all dinner, and we shared stories as we ate.

A belated story from July 29.

Clinton County, IL’s amazing tribute to the Run For The Fallen was due in large part to the inspiration of one man, Gerry Kohnen, Mayor of Germantown, a small town, southeast of St. Louis. All it took was my last cold call to support The Run a week ahead of July 29th, and he believed in “shooting for the moon” and rallying support from all the mayors and communities along the route that day.

My initial interest in Run For The Fallen was because of my friendship with the families of Velton Locklear TX and Aaron Kenneth Kincaid GA. When Gerry heard that Velton’s dad, a retired Sgt. Major, an ROTC instructor and a distance runner of prowess, might be convinced to fly from Laredo, TX to run his son’s mile, he said,”Everything is possible!”

When this Gold Star dad was asked to address the hundreds who supported the vision of The Run in Germantown, he spoke about why he chose to run six more miles from the dramatic, new Veterans’ Memorial in town north along the highway to Breese to honor the families who could not be present, before his last two miles for best buddies KIA September 23, 2006, Hawijah, Iraq, Aaron and Velton III , “Wolfhounds” from the 25th Infantry, Schofield Barracks, HI.

Suffice to say, the three days he spent in Clinton County meeting veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam and his own generation from the first Gulf War, as well as compassionate, generous, respectful of the sacrifice, patriotic Americans from the Heartland, made an indelible impression on this career soldier.

Thank you Clinton County!

Clinton County invites all the families of the fallen honored on Day 45 from Mascoutah, IL to Nashville IL to be in touch because the honors they have in store did not just end with the placing of the flags! Please don’t be strangers.

Gerry Kohnen and Velton Locklear would especially like to be in touch with the families whose miles Sgt. Major Locklear ran.

Sgt Ist Class Charles Jason Jones of Kentucky
Corp. Yull Estrada Rodrigues a marine based in HI but from Puerto Rico
Sgt. Christopher Zimmerman from TX
Sgt. Allan “Biff” Bennington from Pennsylvania
Spc. Windell Jeryd Simmons of Kentucky

The courageous widow of Master Sgt. Robb Needham from Vancouver WA has already been found through her courageous blog http://www.mastersergeantswife.org. and her mission to Liberia this summer.

This brings to mind a possibility for a creative epilogue to Film for the Run For The Fallen - stories of courageous individauls who have moved through grief to make a difference in the world. Surely the team has met many such individuals on the run across the country.

GERMANTOWN GIVES HEROES WELCOME TO RUN FOR THE FALLEN
http://www.bnd.com/news/spiers/story/414738.html

“JON BELLONA and the participants in the Run for the Fallen have spent time running along lonely roads and busy highways in their cross country journey, but they never have experienced anything like the reception they got in Germantown.

Hundreds of people came out to cheer them, and more than 75 veterans lined the approach to the town’s veterans memorial to honor the runners who are running in memory of dead veterans of the Iraqi War.”Bellona said. “This is just unbelievable.”

Click the two thumbnails and see also how
U.S. Marine Jamison Sweet of South County St. Louis hugs a Gold Star mom who had driven eighty miles to be there - Lynn Lenker of Alton - at the welcoming ceremony in Germantown. Sweet was one of the Marines at the burial detail for her son, Christopher Belchik, who was killed in the war.

(A coincidence is that long ago on The Run in Utah, Chris’ flag was placed in tiny Bluff, UT, very close to where Jim and Luanne hosted the team for the night at Recapture Lodge after their incredible scenic run fron Kayenta, with looming Monument Valley off to the west of that straight, endless ribbon of blacktop favored by so many makers of commercials ! )

The following day south of Nashville, IL and on to Herron, IL, The Run gained even greater momentum, thanks in large part to the Gold Star families in that county.
http://www.kfvs12.com/Global/story.asp?S=8756867
(Don’t miss the two great videos)

About

Beginning June 14, 2008, a small team of runners will run across America to raise awareness about the lives of those soldiers who fought, to activate their memories and keep their spirits alive, to support organizations that help wounded veterans and the families of those killed (Wounded Warrior Project, Yellow Ribbon Fund, Gold Star Family Support Center, and the 1st Lt. Michael J. Cleary Memorial Fund), and to aid the healing process for those Americans whose lives have been affected by the war.

We encourage all Americans to run one mile for a service member on our last day Sunday, August 24, when we will reach the gates of Arlington National Cemetery. It is on this day that we run in honor and remembrance of all fallen service members killed in both Iraq and Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom).

We refuse any political affiliation or agenda, but simply honor those who have fought, and those who have fallen under the American flag.

Download a runner’s bib that you can wear when you run for the fallen.

Judy d'Albert 07.27.08 / 6pm

Thanks, Diana, at the Bolivar Chamber of Commerce for immediately grasping the significance of this heroic effort and for spreading the word ahead of time and also for directing me to the Herald Free Press to give advance publicity, so they could contact the Team. What excellent coverage on July 22nd by reporter Emily Griffeth! http://www.bolivarmonews.com

Most especially, I truly appreciated the opportunity to speak with Mrs. Slagle about Beams of Light and commend everyone in your community who supports this effort. As a keen supporter of The Run, a volunteer doing similar outreach and also a supporter of http://www.snowballexpress.org here in Orange County, CA, which applauds the Run For The Fallen Team, I fully appreciate the hard work and many hours it takes to make these support of the military families programs successful. Any family with children that has lost a mom or dad in Afghanistan or Iraq is most welcome to register at Snowball Express. Read all about it online! It’s free! It’s wonderful! It’s healing - Just as The Run is helping heal broken hearts.

Thank you, Bolivar!

Rebecca Nixon 07.29.08 / 3pm

I just want to say thanks again for all you are doing. It was very nice to meet you all and I am glad we got to walk/run with you all!
~Becca Nixon- Niece of Daniel Holland

Joanne Marfechuk 07.30.08 / 10am

Thank you for honoring our fallen. On July 24th you ran for my son Pfc Eric D. Clark. It truly means alot to our family. Eric aka “Cheese” was a very special person, who brought alot of love and laughter into the lives of many. We miss him dearly. We were able to get pictures of his mile marker along your route in Missouri and will treasure them. Family and friends will run/walk on August 24th in Wisconsin. Keep ‘em smilin’ Eric!

Eric’s mom

LaNita 08.08.08 / 11am

Thank you for honoring my husband ad his gunner, SFC Bryant A. Herlem and SGT Jose Gomez. I had hoped to be there, but as so often happens, life got in the way. But I took each step with you in spirit, just as my Bryant walks with me. Bless you for remembering the ones we love and hold so dear.

Judy d'Albert 08.08.08 / 7pm

July 24: Bolivar, MO to Camdenton, MO

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