By DELANIA TRIGG, Register Staff Writer
Aside from a few sunburns, scratches and sore muscles, runners on Operation Honor our Heroes aren’t complaining.
Members of the group created to memorialize and support fallen American soldiers set out Saturday from west Texas on a run that will take them across the state.
Their mission is to run one mile for every soldier killed or wounded during Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom (the war in Afghanistan.)
Runners were in Gainesville yesterday for a cook-out and meeting with Medal of Honor Host City officials at Leonard Park.
Shauna Sweet, a 27 year old Washington D.C. resident, was on hand for the Gainesville stop. She joined the run after taking part in last year’s Run for the Fallen — another endurance event designed to honor and raise money for American veterans and their families.
“I was part of the Run for the Fallen. That’s how I met (Honor our Heroes organizers) Nancy Glass and Lauren McIntyre. I learned about the one mile for every death in OIF and OEF. How important is it to remember these men and women?” she said.
Sweet said each mile she runs is dedicated to at least one fallen soldier.
“Yesterday, I ran for Specialist Darrell Mailer,” she said. “I met his family and carried his flag. Every mile I ran yesterday was with that flag,” she said.
The core group is made up of a few dedicated runners, but Sweet said others often join the run as the group passes through cities and towns.
“We are headed for Keller where we are hoping to meet up with some other runners,” she noted. “Anyone who wants to can join us. They can just go to the Web site or call to find out where we’re going to be.”
The runners follow well-established routes.
Tuesday, they were headed east along State Highway 82.
The group turned the corner in Gainesville and plan to follow Interstate Highway 35 south toward Austin.
Sweet said she’s grateful to the organizers for the Honor our Heroes Run whom she said helped her make the decision to participate in the run.
“I was injured badly and couldn’t run as late as February,” she said.
Running for fallen soldiers gave her some resolve she didn’t even know she had.
“The more time I devote to training and running, I think how can I make the time I spend mean more? Each of these miles is an opportunity to give back and each mile is an opportunity to remember that soldier — his or her kindness, energy, service and devotion to making lives better,” she said.
She said the run is also important for soldier’s grieving families.
“The families sometimes ask us to run a mile for their loved one. It is important to them that we actively remember their family member” she said.
Sweet said despite her pain, she runs for many reasons.
“I’m doing this for Nancy and Lauren, for the families I’ve met along the way and for those (fallen soldiers) I have never met,” she said.
The organization plans to donate proceeds from the run to veterans and their families.
To find out more about Operation Honor our Heroes or to make a donation visit http://honorheroes.org.
Ray Fletcher, a member of the Medal of Honor Host City organization said the MOH program is thrilled to help good causes such as Operation Honor our Heroes.
“We are just a like-minded group who are here to do what we can to help them on their way,” he said of the welcome party.
Fletcher also demonstrated his outdoor cooking skills for the city’s guests with a dinner that included grilled burgers, sausage and french fries.
“The challenge was cooking those fries on the grill,” he said, laughing.
