Walk to the Wall

On May 25th I walked 19.8 miles in 6 hours and 40 minutes. After mile eight, I took a 30-minute break and wasn’t confident I could make it another twelve miles, but I did. I finished.

By the time I got back to my home base for the night, I could barely walk. My feet and legs hurt bad and I had a large blister irritating the bottom of my left foot. I wondered how in the world I could possibly walk the next day. I had never felt aches like this before. I took an over the counter anti-inflammatory, drank a lot of water and iced and elevated my feet to help the pain. When I woke up the next day, I was only mildly sore and prepared for the additional three miles I had to walk to complete my mission. By the time day two ended, I had logged just over 62,000 steps. A normal days accomplishment would mean reaching 10,000. Needless to say, these two days knocked “normal” out of the park.

Why walk that far? I did it for our fallen, for those who no longer walk among us. One of them being my son. It was Memorial Weekend and my first annual “Freedom Walk to the Wall.” I wanted to cover the 105 miles from Glencoe, Illinois to Marseilles, where the Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial is located. The MECWM is the only wall in these United States that adds the names of those killed in action each year in the middle east. The names date back to 1967. This year 35 names will be added. The mission was important, but I knew I couldn’t do it alone. I needed a team.

“Cooperation is the thorough conviction that nobody can get there unless everybody gets there.”
-Virginia Burden

I went straight to my friend Joe, an Army Ranger who served a few years ahead of my son in the same Battalion. I couldn’t think of a better person to help me complete the objective (military speak for finishing the task at hand). Joe immediately started reaching out to people he knew, who, like him, possess a “never quit” approach to life. Bring on Dan, Mark, Andrew, Jason and Jason. With the exception of Mark, all are veterans. Mark owns a fitness company, trains veterans and lives out-loud by the same standard they do.

“It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed.”
-Napolean Hill

Each of these men devotes a great deal of time to helping others, so it came as no surprise when none of them hesitated when Joe asked them to participate. This would be  more than just “a walk”; I would walk the first twenty miles with Mark and Dan, then Joe and Dan would continue the next eighty and meet up with Andrew, Jason and Jason. They would continue thirty more through the middle of the night and finally meet up with Joe, Mark, Dan, me and a handful of others at noon the next day. As a team we would conquer the final three and arrive at the MECWM together. (If you’re doing the math on that, it does add up to more than 105 miles, however Joe and Dan actually began together at mile eight so there is some overlap).

Each of these men has also lost at least one brother in arms during active duty military service. They have collectively lost many in the years since they left active duty. Although Mark hasn’t served, the losses have undoubtedly touched his life as well. The Freedom Walk to the Wall was to honor those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom. We all agreed that what we were doing was nothing compared to what has been done for us. This was about honoring the sacrifices of my son, the men they knew and every single name on the Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial. Life takes on new meaning when someone you  love dies. When they die a hero, their legacy becomes larger than life and your perspectives will often change. Personally, I have made a commitment to my son to spend the rest of my life honoring his life and doing my best to pay forward all that he has given the world.

“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”
-Isaac Newton

This was an opportunity to give up a tiny bit of comfort and meet blisters and sore muscles head on. This was an opportunity to sacrifice a tiny bit of sleep and time to honor those who defended us to the death. The core of why we did what we did is honor. The cornerstone was about all of us believing in and pursuing the greater good.

“If you want to make a society work, then you don’t keep underscoring the places where you’re different—you underscore your shared humanity.”
-Sebastian Junger

When we met up to walk the last three miles, we were all in some sort of physical pain. The temperature was warm (well into the eighties)  and the sun was bright in the sky above the heartland. We were sweating, limping, sporting bandages and exchanged tales about blisters. Despite our battle scars, no one was quitting. What we had left to conquer  was far less than what we had already covered. We set out as a team and not one person complained. There was not one shred of doubt that we would complete our objective. We arrived to downtown Marseilles in about an hour. We were escorted to the MECWM by the local police and fire department, while a small crowd of townspeople lined the streets to thank us. Many were dressed patriotically as Lee Greenwood’s, “Proud to be an American”, played in the background. I had tears in my eyes knowing WE did it. They were tears of gratitude for our team and for each of the names on the wall who no longer walk among us, but whose spirits pushed us to the finish.

“None of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful. “
-Mother Teresa

My first annual Freedom Walk to the Wall was in no way “mine”. It was not possible without the support and encouragement of my team. The media was also instrumental in helping us to raise awareness about the true meaning of Memorial Day. A mission was bestowed upon us, begun by the men and women who ran towards the gunfire.

“Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices.”  -President Harry S. Truman

Our freedom has been bought and paid for, achieved by the blood, sweat and tears of those who gave up their freedom so we can enjoy ours.

“For love of country, they accepted death.” -President James A. Garfield

“The brave die never, though they sleep in dust: Their courage nerves a thousand living men.” -Minot J. Savage

“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean. “ -Ryunosuke Satoro