Trail Races in the Pineywoods of TexasYOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, VISIT THE LINK BELOW TO DONATE!!!
Ok, folks, here we go. As many of you know, I've been searching high and low for some sort of race to run in an effort to raise funds for the Wounded Warrior Project. I've spent most of my time training, running usually about 15 miles a week over a span of two days. I usually run 4 miles every Wednesday after work, and then on my weekends, I wake up at 530ish on Sunday morning and run between 8 and 9 miles while I watch the sun rise in beautiful Southeast Texas.
In between my training sessions, I have attempted to spread the word by every mode possible: Facebook, personal and work email, work relations, family in New York, friends, former classmates and former instructors at both West Point and Kountze ISD. I have made some significant strides thus far in spreading the word. Within the last two weeks, I have received my first two donations. This makes it real. It is fine when a person starts toying with their own money, but when you start having folks invest money in you and your cause, it brings the level of devotion and committment up a couple notches. It makes it a duty to me, not just a fund raiser.
In addition to raising some funds, I posted a blog in Italy with the help of my good, good friend Cherrye Moore. Cherrye and her husband, Peppe, run a very successful Bed and Breakfast in Catanzaro, Italy. Paralleling the succes of their B&B is the succes of their website and blog, so when Cherrye offered me the opportunity to post in Italy to gain some awareness, I jumped at the chance. And as luck would have it, one of Cherrye's MANY blog readers has her own blog, and she in turn posted a note on her blog about my cause and my efforts, providing my website as well. So, the word is getting out there, and now it is time for me to keep my end of the bargain.
On May 16, 2009 at 700 am, I will be participating in the Hog's Hunt Trail Run in the Huntsville State Park. The run is a 25k trail run that circles a great deal of the state park and runs on all sorts of terrains: hard dirt, asphalt, sand, and pine straw coated trails. It has some hills and some valleys, so by mile 16, the legs should feel spent. I thoroughly look forward to the run, and I look more forward to mailing my manifest in to the WWP stating the amount of money I have raised for this great cause.
In spite of raising money and putting my body through some pain, I wanted to do even more for these young men and women who are paying the price for our freedoms and luxuries. I contacted one of my very good friends and former team mates on the Army football team, Tony Coaxum. Tony is now a Coach on the Army football team, and I knew he would do his best to help me out on my request. I asked Tony if he could get a couple footballs signed by the entire Army football team so that I can use them for fundraising. One of those signatures will be that of Colin Mooney, the Fullback from Katy, Texas that broke the all time Army single season rushing record just last year. When these two footballs arrive, one will be auctioned off and the other will have a different purpose. I plan to contact the Veteran's Administration in conjunction with the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, Texas and see if we have any wounded veterans in Houston that need a pick-me-up. The second football will be presented to a deserving individual and I will let them know that their future Officers and Leaders truly appreciate their sacrifices. I have also reached out to the Army Rugby Team, who has recently fought their way in to the NCAA Final Four and will be playing Cal at Stanford soon to earn a berth to the NCAA Championship game. I am hoping that I can obtain a signed rugby ball from these warriors as well.
The bottom line, folks, is that it is not always about the money. Soldiers usually want to just be told "Thank You" or given a hearty pat on the back. I know when I was coming home from my 2nd tour in Iraq, we stopped over in Shannon, Ireland. As a large group of Army Rangers, we walked through the airport with a certain swagger and confidence/cockiness that let folks know that we were damn proud of our profession. We were given a standing ovation by a large group of "happy" Irishmen who then offered to buy each of us a pint of their land's favorite drink, fresh Guinness. Of course, we refused, we were in uniform after all and on duty and we had a few more hours to go before we touched down on our home land. But just the fact that these folks took time to notice us and clap for us and thank us for fighting for THEIR country and THEIR rights and THEIR safety made our hearts swell with pride.
So, in conclusion, do you know a veteran? Do you live next door to a person who spends months away from his family in order to be in harm's way? Do you know somebody that knows a veteran? Shoot an email, make a quick phone call, give a high five. Let those boys and gals know you care. For me, I will always be a veteran...but let's face the hard, bitter truth, folks...I am not a member of the Armed Forces any longer, at least not in the capacity that I once knew. I no longer give commands on a daily basis that affect hundreds of Soldiers, spouses, and dependants within minutes. I no longer have my own personal assault rifle, and I no longer have my own tactical vehicle and personal driver. I have had a very hard time coping with that because I rarely feel a sense of accomplishment anymore, in a professional sense. I have not felt that I have improved the quality of this awesome Country in quite some time.
As a guy that used to stand toe to toe with the enemy and exchange live rounds on a daily basis, I know that my life now lacks a sense of belonging in that sense, a sense of giving back to this Country, a sense of brotherhood, and a sense of a "I will die for you" mentality....and the only outlet I have found thus far is for me to run till I hurt. I like to run and think of the men of Bravo Company, commanded by my very good friend CPT Jimmy Howell from Beaumont, Texas who are fighting the good fight in the Korengal Valley in Eastern Afghanistan.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/20/world/asia/20ambush.html?_r=2&hp
I like to run and think of friends that I have lost and friends that I have almost lost. I like to think of CPT James Gurbisz who left it all on the field in Baghdad, Iraq on November 8, 2005. I got your back, Jimmy, never doubt it, brother.
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/jmgurbisz.htm
I think of CPT Drew Sloan who fought his way back from a devastating injury that occured on October 10, 2004, an injury that could have ended his career if he would have allowed it to do so, only to ask his superiors to go back to war in order to finish what he started. He completed that "extra" combat tour and he now attends Harvard pursuing his MBA.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/07/AR2007040701308.html
I think of CPT Scott Smiley who also remained on Active Duty even though he suffered significant injuries due to a suicide car bomber attack on April 6, 2005. Left completely blind from his injuries, he gradauted from Duke with his MBA.
http://veteransairlift.blogspot.com/2007/07/meet-scott-smiley.html
http://www.blackfive.net/main/2006/07/scott_smiley_so.html
I run for them and I know they appreciate my efforts, as do all of you.
Again, folks, please donate in any way you can: money, handshake, a picked up tab at a restaurant, a pat on the back, even a simple "Thanks, boss"...any gesture is appreciated by these professional warriors.
As for me?
I'm running my ass off........
