Laura Young
Reporter3@riverbendnews.org
More than 20 flag-bearing, yellow-clad marathoners worked their way through Jefferson, Madison and Suwannee Counties with an escort of law enforcement and Veterans' groups on Friday, Feb. 11 and Saturday, Feb. 12, as part of this year's Florida Run for the Fallen event.
The group began their 170-mile journey to honor war heroes at the Florida Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Tallahassee at 6:30 a.m. that Friday and followed a route that would bring them to the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Wall by 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 13. Along the way, they stopped at “Hero Markers” spaced one mile apart to give tribute to groups of individual Florida service members who died as a result of serving during the War on Terror and in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and New Dawn. At each marker, Gold Star family members, friends and comrades could gather to see the ceremony and hear the names of their loved ones recognized. The volunteer runners, all active or former military personnel or dedicated athletes, accomplished the 170-mile distance as a trained marathon relay team.
“I feel great. These miles are basically dedicated to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice,” Daniel Mease commented after the tribute ceremony at marker 25 on the west side of Monticello. “Myself, I am United States Marines. My father passed away as a Marine as well. As we go through this list up to day three — reading those names — it just keeps you motivated. You don't really count the miles. You just remember the names.”
Members of the American Legion and the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association supported the runners and the Gold Star families at markers along the way.
The lead vehicle for the group included George Lutz, who, after the death of his son Tony in Iraq, founded Honor and Remember, which has organized Run for the Fallen events in 15 states. At marker 25 on Friday, Feb. 11, he took a moment to say, “We are glad to be here in Florida, honoring those being recognized for their loved one's sacrifice.”
Florida Run for the Fallen spent around three hours crossing Jefferson County, stopping with military precision for ceremonies at markers 26 through 39 between 11:25 a.m. and 2:09 p.m. Then it was on to Madison County, where they gave tributes at markers 40 through 57 before halting on Friday evening around 5:27 p.m. At 7:11 a.m. on Saturday, they resumed with a ceremony at marker 58 in Madison and reached marker 74 in Lee around 10:07 a.m. By 10:18 a.m. on Saturday, the runners had reached marker 75 in Suwannee County, continuing after a stop for lunch through marker 103 on the east side of Wellborn, which they reached around 3:26 p.m.
At each stop, a small American flag was tapped on the ground for each fallen hero being recognized. Around 10 different heroes were paid tribute at each marker, with their name spoken, along with their branch of service and date of death. For more information about Honor and Remember, visit www.honorandremember.org.