Trek from New Jersey to Jacksonville marks Beirut bombing anniversary
It was the end of an emotional yet victorious trek as the Liberty Run Marines Group finished their final leg of the five day Honor-Courage-Commitment Run at the Beirut Memorial on Saturday morning. As a crowd of supporters cheered on the team as they reached the finish mark, it felt like 1985 all over again for many of the participants.
“We worked hard and we were all hurting and had sore knees,” said Liberty Run Marines Group chair and former Marine Dave English. “But the closer we got to the Beirut Memorial and saw the support, the more we got back in step and the less it hurt.” It’s been 26 years since English and five other participants completed a reverse journey from Camp Geiger to the Flag Plaza, Liberty State Park in New Jersey. The highways and sceneries of the route have dramatically changed since then, but English said the experience was still as memorable as the first time.
Along with members of the Jersey City Police Department Marines, the group began their 600 mile journey last Monday to mark the 1983 Beirut Embassy bombing and to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project and the Wounded Warrior Regiment.
In June 1985, English helped to establish the group of 18 Marines and three corpsmen from the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines to complete relay run to raise money for the Statue of Liberty Restoration Project. English recalled that it was a run that almost never happened after several of the runners suddenly left for pre deployment duties, but he is thankful for the men who stepped up beside him at the last minute and never left. Andy Gonzalez, who was one of the original runners and a Beirut veteran, said that their only goal was to bring awareness to the reviving Lady Liberty.
“We didn’t even realize that we left a mark on the world and now we’re being recognized for it,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez was unable to participate for the second run, but his daughter Andrea was proud to run in his place.
“I really got a good grasp of what they went through when they talk about their brotherhood but to actually be in the middle of their story is a great feeling,” she said. “I got the best of both worlds and it was a great experience.”
The group met with Collin Congleton of Jersey City Police Marines Association to carefully plan a route from Purple Heart Memorial in Jersey City to Jacksonville. Congleton said that every runner took on three miles before switching with another team member.
“It was tough but everyone worked as a team and it went well; some of the guys on the team are experienced runners and they were tremendous and helped us out,” Congleton said. “It was more mental than anything else. We all ran our miles and everyone did what they had to do with no real injuries.”
With help from the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Rolling Thunder Chapter NC-5 and the 2nd Marine Division Band, the runners were greeting by the sounds of music and revving motorcycles as they approached the Beirut Memorial. The run ended with a remembrance and wreath ceremony at the memorial, and the group carried flags and photos in memory of two of their original runners Max Dominguez and Tim McDonald. The ceremony also served as an acknowledgement of the men and women of the armed forces who have lost their lives or have been injured in combat in recent years.
“You have guys who serve in Iraq and Afghanistan who are unable to do things they once could, so we wanted to run for them and it’s very humbling when you think of those who sacrifice their lives,” Joshua Maarleveld, president of the Jersey City Police Marines Association and run participant. “Our motivation was the men and women who couldn’t be out there and do this run.”
http://www.jdnews.com/beirutmemorial/trek-from-new-jersey-to-jacksonville-marks-bombing-anniversary-1.221777?page=1
By ANIESA HOLMES Daily News Staff Published: Sunday, October 20, 2013.