On Sunday, Day 72, the Run For The Fallen runners arrived crossing Memorial Bridge at the end of the last 10K, sweaty and smiling carrying American flags to the applause and shouts of appreciation from hundreds of supporters and families.
Back before Day 62, August 15th, 2008, the day Scott, the four men who were killed with him and 44 other brave soldiers honored that day, I was emailing with Shauna Sweet. Shauna does Media Relations for the Run and I wanted to get more information about the schedule of that day. I was thinking we would make the drive (nearly 7 hours round trip) to just east of Love Virginia on the Blue Ridge Parkway to welcome and thank the runners as they passed and placed the flag and note-card for Scott. Several things happened to make that impossible and so I asked Shauna to pass a request to Jon Bellona that he inscribe “Warrior Poet” on Scott’s memorial card with the flag. She passed my note on to Jon and he said he would do that.
So as we were greeting the runners, Sunday, I sought out Jon as I had a nice thank you speech ready for when we shook hands and when I introduced myself to him as Scott’s dad he immediately said, “Warrior Poet!”. I was so stunned by his remembering my son that I was speechless and overcome with emotion. The words I had planned were gone and I could only clap him on the shoulder (he was way to sweaty to hug). But that moment and the look on his face and in his eye of understanding and compassion is one of the great memories I have of this past year and I will never forget it. I can imagine that he had many moments like this on the trek east with other Gold Star Family members. A few moments later as Jon addressed the crowd he said, “America is a beautiful country and it is full of kind, loving and caring people.”
In conceiving this run I think Jon had a rare moment of inspiration. To undertake it and in accomplishing it he gave so many the opportunity to share with him the honor of knowing, loving and remembering those Fallen that preserve our nation. I did not know his best friend, 1st Lt. Michael J. Cleary, but I feel like I know him now through my short time with Jon. The great thing is, and I am certain of this, Jon created that same feeling in the thousands of Americans he came to know this summer. What he has done to honor Mike’s memory and the memory of the others fallen is nothing short of perfect.
Thank you Jon Bellona! What a privilege it was to be part of your great run!
Some photos I made of that perfect morning…
Run For The Fallen crosses Memorial Bridge
Jon Bellona leads the runners on the last leg into Arlington National Cemetery
Looking South towards the Custis Lee Mansion, the Run ends...
Jon Bellona addresses the crowd of over 200 runners and families
Section 60 Families present "Thank You" cards to Jon Bellona and the Run for the Fallen
The Runners, Families and supporters walk the last mile to Section 60
ANC Superintendent, John Metzler welcomes and congratulates Jon Bellona
Jon Bellona places the flag he carried across the country from California to Washington, DC
Runners and Families place flags and flowers on the graves of the Fallen
We shared a wee dram of the Glenfarclas 21 with Scott
Links to other blogs or video
The final day’s run for the Run For The Fallen will occur on August 24th, 2008. Starting in Ft. Irwin California June 14th and now 71 days later the Run concludes its remarkable honor to our fallen troops on this coming Sunday morning with a ceremonial 10K run through the District. This date is one day and a year after we had Scott’s service at Arlington National Cemetery.
We will be there. We are encouraging anyone who can to join us at Section 60 at 8:30am that day to walk or run to the Arlington Metro station just outside the gates of Arlington National Cemetery around 9:15-9:30am where the Run For The Fallen’s completion will occur and closing remarks will be given.
The Cemetery opens at 8AM. Get a pass at the Visitor Center. We will leave Section 60 at 8:30AM walking to the Metro station. If you want to take the Metro in, Arlington is on the Blue line.
On June 14, 2008, a small team of runners, “The Run For The Fallen”, began a run across America to raise awareness about the lives of those soldiers who fought and fell, 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.
The “Run For The Fallen” will place a flag and memorial for Scott, Andy, Justin, Bill Scates and Bill Edwards on Day 62, August 15th, 2008 west of Love, Virginia on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Marti and I encourage anyone who can be there when the cadre passes and places the flag to do so. We will not be able to make the drive. It is over 3.5 hours from us one way, but some of you may be closer. Here is a link to a Flicker page that shows the map (I think you must register to see it, but that’s harmless)
Scott’s card appears and in the array at the bottom he is on the left. Click on that twice and his pink dot will show sunrays behind it. That is the location on the parkway for his memorial. The others’ cards are in that array too or you can search for your soldier by name.
Also, their final event is on August 24th at Arlington National Cemetery. We will attend that day to thank these wonderful people and to share that wee dram of Glenfarclas with Scott once more…. Hell, I might even run a few yards! That will be a sight.
If you can’t be there I encourage you to support the run with a donation.
This day will pass, just like every other day since this date a year ago. As Marti says, every day is a day of remembrance for us. I think today will be only a little harder.
I continually look back to remember what Scott was doing on any particular day or time. Often, I play through the events of the attack ( I have learned a lot about it) and imagine being there with them seeing the event from all different angles. It may seem weird, but it brings no pain or emotion. I am completely detached from the event, merely a witness. It is how I have come to understand what happened and be with Scott and the others at that moment. I can’t stop or change the outcome, but at least I can be with him when he dies. Often, Marti will look at me as ask what I am thinking and I just answer, “Scott”.
Early this morning as the time of the attack approached and those bright blue digits on the clock ticked closer to 4:20am, I lay awake and this was my only thought. Then I reminded myself that this day will not bring that news again. It will not be a reenactment of those terrible moments of Christy’s phone call and the frantic need to be with her.
This last year’s journey has brought me from shock, denial, physically painful, gut-wrenching, disabling numbness to where I live today: a place of sharing, supporting, honoring and remembering. When I revisit the indelible moments of those days last August it never fails to flame the emotion that is there constantly right under the surface. I refuse to allow it to be painful, that is debilitating and thus pointless. I let the feelings run over me as if rain and shed my tears, suck in my breath and remember the goodness. This does not always work. .
Among the thoughts of Scott, I wondered if any other soldiers had died on this day in the other years of this war and I resolved to find out when I got up. In my email this morning is a Google Alert for Scott and it is to a blog, “Remembering The Fallen” run by Debra Estep who does just that for every date. Today’s Fallen are honored there in addition to our five, Justin Penrod, William Scates, Andrew Lancaster, William Edwards and Scott. Since our five fell, there have been 453 more brave men and women killed. Now families just like ours and therefore now our family too. 4188 since the beginning.
On the bright side, Scott’s dear friend, John Wayne Reynolds and his lovely wife Michelle are going to be here from Austin for the weekend, arriving Wednesday. We think the world of these two and it will be a real joy to have them here to hug and lug around DC doing the touristy stuff.
