On Vandenberg Air Force Base, men and women will be running to remember servicemembers who fell in the line of duty during operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. The charity “Run to Remember” will take place Oct. 20 through Nov. 11 at the base.
During the run, active-duty military members, civilians, contractors, and retirees will run one mile for each servicemember who fell in the line of duty. The running takes place Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., until Nov. 10. On the final day, the run will last 24 hours straight, finishing with a base-wide run in formation that will end at 11 a.m. in front of the 14th Air Force headquarters building.
The first person to run during the 17-day event will be Lt. Gen. William Shelton, commander of the 14th Air Force and the Joint Functional Component Command for Space.
“I am proud to be a part of this project to honor the 4,757 soldiers, sailors, Marines, and Airmen who died while serving their country in the Global War on Terror,” Gen. Shelton said in a release. “Running a mile in honor of every one of these heroes is a great idea, giving us the opportunity to reflect on their sacrifices.”
For each mile they run, volunteers donate $5 to charities that support wounded warriors and families of fallen servicemembers through the Combined Federal Campaign. Civilians who have lost a family member or friend in the war can also volunteer.
“There’s two ways for civilians off-base to get involved,” Senior Master Sgt. Cynthia O’Byrne with the 614th Air Operations Center said in a release. “If they contact the base, they can be present when someone runs on behalf of their loved one. Or if they want to run on behalf of their loved one, we’d be honored for them to be there.”
For more information, e-mail runtoremember@vandenberg.af.mil.
Sports Shorts is compiled by Sports Editor Sarah E. Thien. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, e-mail, or mail.
This article appears in Oct 16-23, 2008.