FORT GORDON, Ga. (Oct. 10, 2014) - Lance Cpl. Caleb Kempf, the first runner in the ninth annual United States Marine Corps Tribute to the Fallen Run, hands off the ammo pouch carrying 21 rounds of ammo to Staff Sgt. Timothy Gernand of Company D, Mari...
FORT GORDON, Ga. (Oct. 10, 2014) - The community is invited to join Fort Gordon Marines and Sailors in honoring more than hundreds of their fallen during a unique 10-day tribute.
The 10th Annual United States Marine Corps Tribute to the Fallen Run will commemorate 1,512 Marines and Navy medical corpsmen who died serving in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. The commemoration will begin with an opening ceremony at 9 a.m., Oct. 28, on Barton Field, with the Marine Corps Detachment's commanding officer ordering that 21 rounds of ammunition be delivered to a firing detail concluding the tribute.
The rounds will be handed to the first runner, who will begin the run promptly at 9:33 a.m. He will also be presented with three blank dog tags. Each runner will circle Barton Field one time for a total of three miles with each mile representing one of the 1,512 fallen. When the runner completes his lap, he will hand off the 21 rounds to the next runner then hang his three dog tags on a nearby display. By the end of the run, 1,512 dog tags will represent the fallen.
New this year, a jumbo-sized screen will show the face of each fallen Marine and Navy medical corpsmen along with a profile summary including their hometown and military occupation specialty, Tatum said
The run will continue nonstop until the final runner completes the run at 8:25 a.m. on Nov. 6. The tribute will conclude with a presentation of the rounds to the firing detail, which will then render a 21 gun salute.
Exclusive to Fort Gordon, the tribute was started in 2005 by a former member of the U.S. Marine Corps Detachment on the installation. More than a run, the tribute is a collaborative effort to memorialize the fallen while remembering the cost of freedom, which one Marine considers especially important considering how much things have changed since events that led to OIF and OEF.
"There was a sense of patriotism that washed over the U.S. in the immediate years following 9/11 that has not been as prevalent in recent years," said Staff Sgt. Charles Tatum, project officer and tribute run coordinator, U.S. Marine Corps Det. "Some people like to forget, but for someone who it personally impacts, they'll never forget … it's just like it happened yesterday."
For many participants like Tatum, the run is deeply personal. Having been deployed four times since 9/11, Tatum has had his share of loss and pain. He reflected on his first experience with the tribute run last year, which he remembered as tiring yet gratifying.
"When you're out there, especially early in the morning, and it's cold, it's quiet, and the only thing you can hear is feet hitting the ground," Tatum recalled. "It's day eight, your back is hurting and your legs are tired … yet you're just thankful that you're able to feel that discomfort, because the people you're running for aren't fortunate enough to be able to feel that."
An estimated 60 Marine and Navy personnel are expected to run this year's event. Participation is voluntary, and event organizers allow runners to choose their run time to allow for maximum involvement.
Tatum said all branches of service are invited to participate as runners or by simply showing support as spectators.
"Everybody has a reason to run," Tatum said. "We encourage everybody to come out and run for their own cause."
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