Run For The Fallen

From USA Today:
"'He’s looking down and he's proud': 6,000-mile run honors fallen service members"

A run honoring fallen service members came to an emotional conclusion Sunday afternoon as runners and Gold Star families gathered for the final mile and a closing ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.  America's Run for the Fallen, which began in April and took runners more than 6,000 miles from Fort Irwin, California, to Arlington, Virginia, paid tribute to more than 20,000 fallen service members, whose names were read at mile markers. "Calling out loud the names of fallen heroes is one of the most important things that we can do as a nation to remember those who gave their lives," said George Lutz, the founder of Honor and Remember, an organization that honors fallen service members. Lutz's son died in Iraq in 2005.  A core team of runners traveled the entire distance. Additional local runners joined the group for smaller periods of time as it passed through their home states.  "I'm honored to be a part of it, absolutely, and humbled that we could be here, for all the service members who could not be here with us today," said Ryan Potter, a runner who did three days in Illinois, where he's stationed, and four days in Virginia.  "I don’t know how to explain what it is, it’s just everything, seven emotions rolled into one," said Colton Compton, who ran for 21 days. "Happy, excited, sad." As the contingent of runners arrived at the Old Post Chapel, 1 mile before the finish line, they were greeted by a cheering crowd of supporters. After hugs and tears, the entire group began a somber walk through Arlington cemetery for the final mile.  Many onlookers had a special reason to be there: Their own family members were among the fallen. Alina Stillman, whose husband, Jack, died of cancer in January, a month before he was scheduled for deployment to the Middle East, brought her two young sons to watch the run.  "I know that he’s looking down, and he’s proud," she said. "He was proud to serve our country; he absolutely loved the military." At a closing ceremony, Navy Vice Adm. Philip Gardner Howe, associate director for military affairs at the Central Intelligence Agency, addressed the crowd.  "The completion of today’s run and the remembrance of nearly 20,000 is a reminder of why we have reason for optimism in spite of the challenges that surround us," Howe said, noting threats of violent extremism around the world.  The ceremony ended with the reading of the names of all the fallen service members who had been honored that day. Then, audience members were invited to share their own relatives' names. Some listed two or three family members. Stillman said she was grateful to "all the incredible people who are honoring our fallen and making sure they’re not a statistic in history." "Even though they’re gone, they left behind families," she said. "Not only are they doing this for the fallen, but they’re doing this for families like mine."

^ This is such a good way to honor the sacrifice of the soldiers and their families. ^

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/08/05/run-fallen-honors-service-members-ends-arlington-national-cemetery/911117002/