RUN FOR THE FALLEN TO STOP OVER IN OCEAN CITY ON FRIDAY By Douglas Bergen | Ocean City Patch The event honors and remembers New Jersey soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. In an apolitical reflection of remembrance a team of active duty members of the military from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and other locations across the US will come together to embark on a 180+ mile run to honor every New Jersey service member killed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and Operation New Dawn. Each mile is dedicated to an individual NJ Hero and their family, and the run team will stop at each Hero Marker (each mile) to present a flag and personalized biographical card to waiting family members, friends and comrades with the goal of creating a 180+ mile memorial trail through New Jersey. The end of each mile during the run is designated as a Hero Marker and each is assigned to one of our New Jersey Heroes. A couple of days prior to the actual run each of these Hero Marker locations will be marked by painting that particular number at the designated spot on the road shoulder and will also be marked with a laminated Marker card containing the HM number, name, and date and time as well. Members of the community, especially active duty military and veterans, are encouraged to show their support by joining the Run Team for the presentation to the Gold Star Family of the Hero at any one or more of the Hero Markers located along the route. Specific locations can be found at runforthefallen.org. “NJ Run for the Fallen” will kick off on Thursday, September 26, 2013 at Sunset Beach in Cape May for a special flag ceremony and reading of the names. The flag ceremony will be followed by a dinner for the Gold Star Families and Runners at the Bayview Inn in Wildwood Crest. On Friday September 27th at 8:00am at Cape May Lighthouse, the Run will begin with a “start” ceremony for the three day, 180+ mile run through Cape May, Wildwood, Stone Harbor/Avalon, and end for the day in Ocean City. The Run Team will reach Ocean City at 3:00 at the Corson’s Inlet Bridge. An additional tribute to the 4 New Jersey US Navy servicemen who were killed during the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon will be held at Veteran’s Memorial Park at 5th & Wesley in Ocean City at approximately 4:00 p.m. The first day of the Run will end at the Ocean City American Legion Post 524 at approximately 4:30 pm and will include recognition of the 8 New Jersey Marines killed in the Beirut bombing on Oct. 23, 1983. Afterward, American Legion Post 524 will host the Gold Star Families, Blue Star Mothers and Run Team for dinner at the Ocean City Senior Center and, along with the Ocean City VFW Post 6650, have arranged for overnight accommodations for the Gold Star Families. The Run will resume on Saturday, September 28th when the runners depart Somers Point at 6:30 am and then travel through Egg Harbor, Galloway, Tuckerton, Barnegat, Lacey, Lanoka Harbor, Bayville, Beachwood, and Toms River. American Legion Post 129 will host the Gold Star Families and Run Team for dinner. On Sunday, September 29th, the runners will depart the Bricktown Elks Lodge and travel through Mantoloking, Point Pleasant, Sea Girt, Belmar, Bradley Beach, Asbury Park, Long Branch, Oceanport, Shrewsbury, Lincroft and Holmdel to finish at the NJ Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial in Holmdel on National Gold Star Family Day, Sunday September 29, 2013. More details and route maps are available at ttp://njrunforthefallen.org/2013-run.html. On Sunday afternoon as the Run enters Holmdel there will again be opportunities for the public to show their support and run alongside our team for either the last 5 miles or a 2K run/walk into the PNC Arts Center to finish at the NJ Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial. For any questions or more information, please contact Jack Hagan, Adjutant, American Legion Post 524 at 609-304-3088.
Posted on: Fri, 27 Sep 2013 14:48:57 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015