JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash.--- They ran 2,250 miles. They ran for weeks, and they ran to remember. They ran to honor a special person to their battalion -- to memorialize a person who served a life-long career to his country's military.
Soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division Artillery, recognized retired Command Sgt. Maj. James "Jim" Steinthal with a two-week run-a-thon to remember their deceased comrade.
"We were the color guard for his funeral, but we didn't want to leave it at just that," said Lt. Col. John D. Williams, commander of 1-37 FAR.
Williams said they originally planned to just run for one day, but due to training events, not everyone could be involved, so they extended the timeline.
"I wanted everyone to be involved and be a part of this," he said. "So we made it a two-week event."
Throughout the two weeks, Soldiers from the different batteries would voluntarily run laps around Rose Field, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., keeping a count of how many they did. Some Soldiers would run on their own time, while others would conduct their morning training running laps. One Soldier even ran 20 miles on the last morning of the event. Staff Sgt. Lucas Greenfield found it to be a perfect opportunity to take his son out on a run and teach him about the unit history.
"It builds cohesion, and it builds the team," said Command Sgt. Maj. Donald Harding, senior enlisted advisor in the 1-37 FAR. "But more importantly, it shows Soldiers that no one's ever forgotten."
Steinthal served with the 37th FAR during the Korean War. He participated in some of the major battles of the war, to include the Battle of Chipyon-ni. After retiring in 1970, he settled down near JBLM, where he continued to be involved with the military. In 2013, the battalion decided to honor him by naming him the regimental CSM, and in April of this year, they renamed the battalion conference room in his name. Steinthal passed away in August, and members of the battalion served as pallbearers and honor guard at his funeral.
"He was passionate, and he was very involved with the unit," said Williams. "He would share his stories of his days during the Korean War."
Steinthal attended events that honored Soldiers killed in action. He attended the annual remembrance of those who fought in the Battle of Chipyon-ni, a battle known as the Gettysburg of the Korean War. Last year, he was guest speaker for the ceremony.
"He was very proud to be able to come talk about it with the young Soldiers," said Williams.
History is an important part of our military tradition, and it sets a foundation for the things we do today, said Harding. It is important for someone who lived through those events, to come out and share his stories with the Soldiers of today.
"A lot of the young Soldiers will see the campaign streamers on the battalion guidon but won't understand to the full effect of what they mean," said Harding. "So to bring in somebody who had lived through that era and is able to talk to the young Soldiers and give them his experience is important for them to understand the battalion's history."
The run-a-thon was also a way for the battalion to show to Steinthal's wife, Fran, and their two sons, they will always be a part of the battalion.
"We want to show Fran that we have our unit in support of her family and show them that they are not forgotten," said Harding.
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