Running with ordinary heros

Air Force Memorial

Saturday was to be the final long training run with Team for kids, a 23 miler in New York City. However our family was invited to join my in-laws at their Air Force Bombing group reunion in Washington DC and to attend the dedication of the Air Force Memorial. So Friday evening I took the train with my daughter and we arrived in Arlington, Va around 11 PM.

My chance to complete a long run meant getting up and going early. At 6 am I was stretched, hydrated, and out the door with a bottle of gatoraide in hand with the idea of running for 3 hours at an easy pace. Over the Key Bridge, with mist rising from the river, due to temperature around 45 degrees, I entered historic Georgetown. I planned to run three loops around various monuments.

It was very dark when I came upon the first monument, the Viet Nam memorial. It is lit up at night so the etched names stand out. This was a powerful experience.

Next up the path was the reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial, leading up to the Washington Monument. It was still cold and dark, but I felt fine since I was moving along. At this hour, about 6:45 am, there were few others out and about.

Next up ahead was the long grassy "mall" which has dirt paths and leads your directly up to the Capital Building. Once around the "pond" in front and it is time to turn back toward the Lincoln Memorial.

I did this loop three times, until the sun was up and plenty of people were sightseeing and playing in the open spaces.

I returned to the Holiday Inn at 9 am, stretched, showered, ate a big breakfast, and boarded a bus to attend the dedication of the Air Force Memorial.

I sat with my wife's dad, George who was the navigator, and two from his 380th bomb squadron, the pilot, the turret gunner, and their wives. We were part of a crowd of about 40,000 mostly retired Air Force personnel who wanted to be part of this ceremony.

I am in awe of this group, the sacrifices they made for their country, their families and for us, their future. Not a single person I met could be spotted in a crowd as a hero, but each one surely was. Through their efforts, dedication, and sacrifice of their group, many who ultimately died for our cause, the Nazi's were beaten, the Japanese defeated, the Russians held at bay, communism was found to be unsuitable to sustain economic growth, South Korean's freed and so much more.

There are many current problems in this world, but I am proud of my Father-in-law's generation, who served our country faithfully, and came back to become good parents, citizens and role models.

A sincere thank you to all who serve this country and keep us strong!