Engineers march 100 miles in 4 days

By 1st Lt. James Vidal, 15th Engineer Battalion Public AffairsJuly 22, 2014

Nijmegen Road March
NIJMEGEN, Netherlands -- The vierdaagse team from the 15th Engineer Battalion forms up after getting back from their 100 mile ruck march to show off their royal Dutch medals at Grafenwoehr 19 July.

To learn more, contact 1LT James Vidal at 475-9916 ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army)
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NIJMEGEN, Netherlands -- Twelve Soldiers from the 15th Engineer Battalion volunteered to join more than 47,000 others from over 15 nations on a grueling four day, 100-mile march through the World War II battlefields here.

Tuesday, July 15, marked the first day of the event where the engineer Soldiers marched beside 4,000 other service members from around the world wearing combat uniforms and 25-pound ruck sacks.

After enduring through four days of both physical and mental hardship, the 15th Engineers finally crossed the finish line in downtown Nijmegen July 18 to a shower of flowers and a sea of congratulations.

"There were times when we had to get together to motivate one of our battle buddies who was having a hard time," said Pvt.2 Carmelo Garrett. "Alone, I don't think most of us could have done it, but we made sure that we were always marching together as a team; leaving no Soldier behind."

On each of the four days the team woke up before 4 a.m. in order to be ready for the step-off. They departed the camp on a different 25-mile route each day and returned each night to wash up, address injuries, rest and get ready for the next day.

By the end of the first day over half of the team was injured in some way, but none thought of giving up. Spc. Theodore Dorazi, a carpentry and masonry specialist from the 902nd Vertical Engineer Company, suffered serious blistering on both heels after day one, but continued to push himself until he was finally medically disqualified 13 miles short of the finish line on the last day.

Dorazi was the only one of the 12 who didn't complete the march, but his steadfast determination provided the example to the others that ensured they did.

The group's leadership focused on team cohesion rather than speed during the event. Several team members commented that they prided themselves on staying together when they frequently saw other military teams fragment according to ability.

Soldiers used marching cadences during times of low morale, which helped to inspire both the team and those around them. For a few miles, a Swedish army team marched beside the Americans to sing along before leading a few cadences of their own.

By the end of the last day, the Soldiers turned to the crowds for motivation and were not disappointed.

"It was the energy of the crowd that carried you the last few miles to the finish line," said Spc. Marcus Apodaca, a carpentry and masonry specialist from the 902nd Vertical Engineer Company. "Your body is telling you to quit, but you just can't let them down."

The Dutch army began the tradition of the march in 1907 by conducting regular, multiday marches in order to provide a challenge to their Soldiers and build the force's esprit de corps. In 1909, the Nederlandse Bond voor Lichamelijke Opvoeding (NBvLO) [Dutch League for Physical Education] organized the first four-day march or "Vierdaagse," where civilians could participate.

The original participants numbered only 306, and out of those only 10 were civilians. Women were eligible to participate by 1913 and by1925 the march found its permanent home in Nijmegen.

The Vierdaagse has grown steadily in popularity since then and has only been cancelled during times of war or dangerous weather. Civilian walkers can march 30, 40 or 50 kilometers per day depending on their age group and gender, while the military teams all walk 40 kilometers daily wearing 10-kilogram ruck sacks.

Americans formed close ties with the city of Nijmegen during September 1944 when elements of the 82nd Airborne Division worked with British forces to liberate the area from German occupation during Operation Market Garden. The Dutch haven't forgotten the heroics of the American forces during that time and their generosity is still evident 70 years later. Some citizens were up as early as 4 a.m. to give encouragements, free water and snacks.

"The local Dutch people were extremely nice and would just walk beside the team to hand out everything from cucumbers to marshmallows," said Garrett. "Our favorite snack was a batch of freshly made Dutch pancakes that was doled out by an elderly local woman."

In addition to strengthening the ties between the United States and Holland, the Vierdaagse provided a great opportunity for Soldiers to build friendships with service members from many other nations. Unlike the civilian marchers, the military members all began and finished at Camp Heumensoord, about three miles south of downtown Nijmegen, where they were able to visit the tents of their brothers in arms from around the world. Sharing the many hardships of the march, strong friendships were forged.

When asked about his favorite experience from the march, Garret said, "It's the camaraderie that you build with the other militaries. Everyone that we talked to was both friendly and encouraging, making the whole experience better."

With the military walkers outnumbered 10 to one, the 15th Engineer Soldiers were afforded plenty of opportunities to talk to civilians along the way. One of whom was a Swedish World War II veteran who had been captured by the German army and was then rescued when the 82nd Airborne Division liberated Nijmegen. It is experiences like these that the participants will never forget and will share for years to come.

"I think that everyone stationed here (in Europe) should do it at least once," Garret said, "it's a way to really test yourself, meet great people, and have fun."

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