Run for the Fallen

This was the 4th year for the Hendersonville Running Club to conduct the Run for the Fallen of Sumner County, TN. We had a list of 10 names that were either from Sumner County, or had connections with Sumner County, or friends of our fellow runners. We ran a 6.8 mile course along the new greenway in Hendersonville. The weather was perfect. We were honored, this year, to have Col. Many-Bear Grinder (retired), who is the Commissioner of Tennessee Veterans Affairs, and also mother-in-law of CW02 (Army) Billie Jean Grinder (KIA Feb. 21, 2010). As she kneeled in front of the Grinder marker, at the 5 mile mark, we were reminded, not only of their sacrifice, but family members continue to deeply mourn their loss.

Another story that I would like to share with others, centers around one our HRC members:

An Amazing Co-incidence or Spiritual Telepathy

One of the original organizers of Hendersonville Running Club’s Run For The Fallen program, was Marine Master Sgt. Kenneth (Randy) Smith (retired). He has been an avid runner, including qualifying, and running in the Boston Marathon, a couple of years ago. All of the names for which HRC runs, have connections to Sumner County, but he has always added two close friends that served with him and were killed in action. Recently, his life was changed instantly, and his devotion to the fallen was intensified. While searching for a bargain on a bed frame, he happened into a local Goodwill Store, thinking that may be a good place to find one. He was unsuccessful, but as he was leaving the front of the store, he paused at a table of books. We know Randy as an energetic, athletic, outdoors Marine type of man, with bed frame on his mind. For some unknown reason, he paused, and picked up a book. Because it was on end, he turned to the front of the book, and it read, “A Table in His Presence” by Chaplain Lt. Carey H. Cash, not exactly a title that he would be interested in, but it did have a picture of some Marines on the cover, so he investigated a little farther. He looked a little closer and seemed to recognize one of the faces on the cover and flipped through the book, back to the front, and found some pictures and an article about his fallen best friend, Gy Sgt. Jeffrey Bohr. Visibly shaken, he marveled at the chance occurrence. He eagerly scanned the article and description of Gy Sgt Bohr’s heroics and eventual death. He bought all seven copies of the book. That evening he read the book, learning more about his best friend that he knew while serving at 29 Palms years earlier.
He called me several days later, and said that his life has been changed by a book he found. Run for the Fallen had taken on a much deeper meaning. He had previously participated to honor his friends, but now, it’s his duty, a debt to fulfill, a much more passionate cause; a hole.

M. Sgt Kenneth (Randy) Smith is in the center of this picture in the red shirt.

Merced event honoring fallen war heroes draws 1,076 runners
Number of participants has more than doubled, says organizers
By VICTOR A. PATTON – vpatton@mercedsun-star.com
article link

Robin Hopper wore a small gold star pinned to her white T-shirt honoring her beloved son, Pfc. Lukas Hopper, as a flurry of joggers zipped past in Merced’s Applegate Park on Saturday.

Talking about her son, a 20-year-old Golden Valley High graduate who died almost two years ago in a Humvee crash in Baghdad, is still emotional. Yet it was encouraging to be among friends and supporters who haven’t forgotten her son and among family and friends of others who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice.

“This is just a huge honor for him and the sacrifice that he made for us and our country,” said Hopper. “It continues to be difficult, but these kind of events help us have the strength to keep going.”

Merced County mothers of soldiers and Marines who’ve died in Iraq and Afghanistan were present in Applegate Park for Saturday’s Run for the Fallen. Shown here, left to right, are Terri Pickard, mother of Joshua Pickard, Maria Granados, mother of Cesar Granados, Robin Hopper, mother of Lukas Hopper, Anita Richards, mother of Frank Gasper, Karen Binion, mother of Matthew Abbate, and Diane Layfield, mother of Travis Layfield. PHOTO: Victor A. Patton, Merced Sun-Star

Died in war zones since 9/11
Karina Lau, Nov. 2, 2003
Travis J. Layfield, April 6, 2004
Cesar A. Granados, Sept. 15, 2006
Joshua Pickard, Dec. 19, 2006
Frank J. Gasper, May 25, 2008
Janelle F. King, Aug. 14, 2008
Lukas C. Hopper, Oct. 30, 2009
David Hartman, Feb. 3, 2010
Matthew Abbate, Dec. 2, 2010
Vincent Wayne Ashlock, Dec. 4, 2010

Hopper was one of several parents present Saturday for the Second Annual Run for the Fallen in Merced, a four-mile run honoring soldiers and Marines who’ve died in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Organizers said this year’s event attracted 1,076 runners and more than 1,500 total attendees — more than double the number who participated last year. The run began about 8 a.m., and the route proceeded from the park to McKee Road and back. Registration for the event was free.

Every half-mile along the route stood a photograph of a fallen soldier or Marine, as a reminder of the price paid.

Before the run, friends and supporters of the fallen heroes gathered for a remembrance service. Terri Pickard, mother of late Marine Cpl. Joshua Pickard, 20, said the high turnout was deeply encouraging. “Just the support of the community is overwhelming to me. I love it. I think all of the families feel very special that someone would take their time to come out,” Pickard said.

The first person who completed Saturday’s run was 17-year-old Mark Machado of Buhach Colony High’s Thunder boy’s cross-country team. A senior with a 4.0 grade-point average, Machado strode across the finish line with a time of 23 minutes, 24 seconds.

Machado was at the event with his coach, Alfonso Garcia, and about half of his team. Garcia, the school’s track coach and a Marine veteran of Desert Storm, played an active role in the run, setting up the route and motivating participants with a loudspeaker.

Garcia pointed out that Joshua Pickard was a 2004 graduate of Buhach High. He also played football there. Garcia said the focus of the event for him and the cross-country team was “the cause and why we remember our heroes.”

Garcia added that the young people on the team “know the story of Josh Pickard and the other fallen soldiers and Marines.”

Several family members who were on hand, such as 44-year-old Martha Rivera of Delhi, actually ran during the event. Rivera’s little sister was Karina Lau, 20, who was killed in 2003 with 15 others when the Chinook helicopter they rode in was shot down west of Baghdad.

Rivera’s husband, Benjamin Rivera, served in Desert Storm. Her younger brother, 38-year-old Luis Lau, serves in the U.S. Navy. “I am so happy that so many people showed up,” Rivera said. “I am amazed. I didn’t think it was going to be this big.”

The run was emotional for family members such as Cassandra Granados, whose big brother Cesar Granados, 21, of Le Grand, died in Baghdad when his vehicle was struck by an explosive. “My brother gave everything,” Granados said, tears rolling down her face.

The event attracted several people from outside Merced. Modesto resident Debra Moore was at the event with her family to remember her son, Spc. Cody James Moore, 21, a decorated soldier who died after his return to Kentucky from combat in Afghanistan.

Wearing a red, white and blue T-shirt with a photo of her son, Moore also attended last year’s Merced event. “These people and their families sacrifice everything for our country. And we need to support them,” she said.

The main sponsors of the Merced event were Merced County Blue Star Mothers and Families, Disabled American Veterans and Veterans of Foreign Wars.

The Merced event was one of two runs held Saturday in California, with the other event happening in Long Beach, according to the website Runforthefallen.org. Other Run for the Fallen events were held nationwide, as far east as Maine.

Managing Editor Victor A. Patton can be reached at (209) 385-2431 or vpatton@mercedsun-star.com.

Read more: http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2011/08/21/2012485/merced-event-honoring-fallen-war.html#ixzz1VvQaOFK1

The Run for the Fallen gathering in Long Beach, Califonia had an amazing turn out. We had many running teams participate as well as members of the Los Angeles Tri-Club participate. Together, we calculated 371.3 miles in Honor of all of our Fallen; including : Sgt. David J. Almazan, Sgt. Steven Morin Jr. ,Pfc. Chad Trimble, Spc. Ignacio “Nacho” Ramirez, Ssgt. Frank Gasper, Cpt. Shane Adcock, Pfc. Ivan Merlo, Spc. Christopher S. Honaker and Spc. Joseph A. Miracle.

I would like to take the time to list all that came out to not only run for our Fallen but to gather information about RFTF. Special thanks, to the Ledesma and Ramirez family. Robbins, Garcia, O’keefe, Cham, Feliciano, Munoz Williams, Davis Family, Ponce, Yancor, Risen, Agirre, Merlo Family, Hines, Pillet, Gary, Pong, Nalera, Espinoza, Caceres, Altarrvario, Garcia, Rodriquez, Myer, Santana, Perkins, Ancell, Wheelock Family, Zapata/Ortega Family, Mazon, Griffen Family, Comeau, and Carver Family for honoring the lives of those who’s Memory live through our miles. To them that are gone, they will be never be forgotten.

Author: Salina Jimenez

Article:
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011108210346

Photos:
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=D0&Dato=20110820&Kategori=NEWS&Lopenr=108200805&Ref=PH&odyssey=mod|galleriespic|news

Superior Telegram August 18th, 2011
Running for the fallen
This weekend, people throughout the nation will put their best foot forward to honor members of the military who can no longer walk beside them.
As part of the annual “Run for the Fallen,” everyone is encouraged to go out and run or walk one mile for a fallen service member killed in Iraq and Afghanistan either Saturday or Sunday.
Bruce and Sue Vrooman of Superior will be walking for their son, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jeremy Vrooman, who was killed July 15, 2008, during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The family will be in Sioux Falls, S.D. Saturday morning, and will walk with the family of another fallen soldier, Staff Sgt. Robb Rolfing.
“We’ll have a good time, and we will be remembering our fallen heroes,” said Sue Vrooman.
“Run for the Fallen” was launched in 2008. The goal of the movement is to have all 50 states participate. Last year’s event encompassed 8,300 participants in 45 states and two countries, running more than 49,000 miles combined.
The only organized event in Wisconsin listed on the group’s website takes place Sunday morning at Woods National Cemetery in Milwaukee. But families and individuals can trek a mile anywhere — on a city sidewalk, a forest trail or along a beach — to honor the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice overseas.

Note from Judith: Their Son Brad has organized a “Run” in South Dakota…..his first…and he’s already gotten media coverage there for it.