More than 120 take Bataan Memorial March challenge in Kosovo

By Sgt. 1st Class Michael HagburgMarch 22, 2010

More than 120 take Bataan Memorial March challenge in Kosovo
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
More than 120 take Bataan Memorial March challenge in Kosovo
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Maj. Terry Belter, Lancaster, Calif., 1st Lt. Kevin Marshall, West Covina, Calif., Capt. Jeff Rosenberg, Sacramento, Calif., Sgt. Christina Sung, Mont Clair, Calif., and 1st Lt. Edward Simangan, Long Beach, Calif., display the U.S. and Philippine fla... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo (March 22, 2010) - More than 120 people, including many KFOR Soldiers from Multi-National Battle Group-East, challenged themselves March 21 in the inaugural Bataan Memorial March here.

The march took the participants up and over the hills of Camp Bondsteel and along trails surrounding the base. It was held the same weekend as the long-standing Bataan Memorial Death March at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., in which 5,700 participated.

"This march is in commemoration of those that gave their all defending the Philippines in World War II and also in remembrance of the survivors," said Renee Favors of Camp Bondsteel's Morale Welfare and Recreation office, which sponsored the event.

The march was broken down into four categories: a 26-mile and a 15-mile team march and a 26-mile and a 15-mile individual run.

"We had some people who run marathons back in the states and so we made it an individual event for the runners, said Favors. "But it was mostly a team event."

The team marchers carried 35-pound rucksacks and their individual weapons. Run and march participants came from the United States, Denmark, Finland, Poland and Ukraine.

"The main thing about having it as a team event is for everyone in your team to cross the line and to help each other," Favors said. "You don't leave anyone behind."

2nd Lt. Jay Sheldon, Mandan, N.D., an information officer for Multi-National Battle Group-East, completed the 15-mile march.

"I've got one pretty good blister but other than that I'm just a little sore," he said. I'm glad we got to go down the big hills instead of up them. The road going up wasn't quite as steep as the road down."

Sheldon said it was a perfect day for the march and the temperatures were ideal for being out walking.

Lt. Col. David Skalicky, Bismarck, N.D., the chief of MNBG-E's Joint Visitor's Bureau, ran the marathon. It was his sixth marathon.

"It was awesome," he said. "The coolest part was that there were four first-time marathoners. It's great getting other people hooked on running."

One of the first-time runners was Capt. Anna Wittrock, Moorhead, Minn., a battle captain with the MNBG-E operations section.

"From the waist up I feel pretty good," she said. "From the waist down it hurts."

"It was the hardest marathon I'll ever run," said Skalicky. "In the last six miles you had three huge hills. That doesn't happen in other marathons."

Another marathon is planned at Camp Bondsteel May 2, to be run in conjunction with the National Guard Marathon.

On June 6, a 10-mile memorial march will be held to remember all North Dakota servicemembers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. June 6 was chosen as the date because both Sgt. Travis Van Zoest and Cpl. Curtis Mehrer of the North Dakota National Guard's 1-188 Air Defense Artillery were killed in Afghanistan on that date in 2006. Marches will be held simultaneously in North Dakota and Iraq.

"We want to eliminate any element of competition in the memorial march," said Sheldon. "We want everyone to be able to walk and visit and share their memories of Soldiers who aren't with us anymore."

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