The Long Overdue AAR Taking on a mission of this nature is as equally daunting as it is memorable. For the person undertaking it, it is a cathartic experience very internal in nature, for those supporting the person it is very external and charitable in nature, for those donating it can be tangential in nature but still connects them to an event that they want to be a part of but otherwise couldn’t. What it means to everyone involved is nonetheless amazing. Yesterday was a mix of emotions for me. The encouragement I was getting from home, the support I was getting from my coworkers, and the people that stopped me throughout the day made this day worth more than I could ever dream. I ended up doing the first 24 miles solo before heat exhaustion sent me to the hospital for a couple of hours. Even after getting 4 liters of fluid I was still in high spirits until they suspected my kidneys shutting down and then I was told I wouldn’t even be allowed outside much less to ruck the rest of the way. I literally had tears running down my face at the thought of failing you guys. Of course at that moment I hear on the other side of the curtain “What? Murphy is here…what a pussy!” He pulled back the curtain and the look on his face at seeing mine was one of brotherly love…not anything else. He disappeared again. A few moments later I see my ruck (I had left it on the water cooler to get back to the hospital as quickly as possible) and it was being passed to another person. Everyone was taking turns carrying the flag and the ruck to complete the task. Pretty soon people decided to get their body armor on and carry their own weight and join each other. People were just getting weight on, grabbing one of the tags off the board, and going around with each other. I came outside to see all the commotion and there were 14 people outside completing one lap or another. So we all got together and did the final lap together…one massive column of pride and camaraderie. I didn’t like what happened to me, and that initial sense of failure, especially for my brothers back home, but the way this ended up was bigger and better than I could have imagined. Best moment of the march: Around 16 miles I was really feeling it…I had stopped to take a drink of water in the shade and when I started I saw 5 trucks parked in my path…when I walked around it was the Green Berets on the other side at parade rest…when I walked by they came to, popped tall, and saluted the flag as I walked by…truly truly truly an honor to have happened not only for my march, but on this day, and for their cause. I would have given ANYTHING to have had some award winning photographer capturing that moment. I want to personally thank the following people for their encouragement and inspiration that I would have never even come as close as I did Daniel Barbarossa Dodson and Emmanuel Bonilla - for your hike across the sea that shadowed mine...that made me push myself further than I thought possible...and to not let me have age as an excuse (I guess Bill Egan and Craig Osborne fall in here as well) ;) Jamie Isaacson - the only time I can call a woman a beast and she take it in the right way...her amount of training and inspiration go hand in hand...everytime she posted about a workout I too wanted to work out that much more...her inspiration on the ruck to push forward especially with a greater cause ahead of ourselves made my suffering almost pleasurable Shelley Maurer, Chasity Haskins, Wendy French, Joanna June, Julie Fults, Julie FultonR Raynae LeslieJennifer Schleis Murray Rebecca Strong- it was like my own personal cheerleading team of inspiration and awesomeness. I can hear your cheers in my head (and where were you Julie not shadowing me this time at THE perfect photo opportunity :P) To my family Ann Murphy, Maureen Murphy Frazier, Kathleen Eberle, Stacy Murphy, Rachel Arbuckle, and of course Kylie Murphy - you make me proud to be a part of an amazing family...to always try to do the right thing, and to be bigger and better than myself. I love you guys so much. And of course to my brothers in arms: Jason Jacobs, Paul Newland, William Lorton, Jason Greany: Nothing more needs to be said...because you guys already know The video...is after the last lap...and everyone gathered around to give one last thanks for an amazing day
Posted on: Tue, 27 May 2014 14:54:26 +0000