Oh! What some military family survivors will do to honor and remember our loved ones who have died while serving in this great nation’s United States armed forces. And what they will do to raise money for the organization closest to our heart. TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors), which is headquartered in Washington, D.C., is the only national non-profit veteran’s organization to provide grief support and bonding to our nation’s bereaved military families and children.

Saturday morning, October 28th, the Marine Corps Marathon and Expo, now the fourth largest in the nation, began in D.C. TAPS children, wearing t-shirts with their dad’s photo and names (and some holding hands for their entire one mile event), ran to honor their dads. On Sunday morning at 5:00 a.m., many TAPS family runners, joggers, walkers, and cheerleaders showed up with alarms brought from their comfortable beds at the Hilton in Crystal City, Virginia.

Eric Dietz trained in his Colorado home mountains to prepare himself to run the marathon in honor of his brother, Navy Seal and Navy Cross recipient, Danny Dietz, Jr., who died after his capture by Taliban in Afghanistan, June, 2005. Eric’s parents, sister, girlfriend, and brother’s wife came to cheer him on. Renny Parker of New York with his wife, son, and daughter to cheer him came to run the 26.2 miles in honor and remembrance of his oldest son, Marine Corps Sgt Elisha Parker who died by an enemy attack in Anbar Province,  May 4, 2006. Joanna Wrobleweski with a friend at her side came to honor her fallen husband, Marine Corps Lt. John Wroblewski, killed by enemy fire in Anbar Province, April 6, 2004. And yes, my husband now with two bum knees came to cheer me through the 10K in honor and remembrance of my stepson, U.S. Army Cavalry Scout Sgt Patrick Tainsh, killed by an IED explosion in Baghdad February, 2004.

 By 7:30 a.m., in a crisp 50 degrees beneath azure sky our TAPS family meandered together past the Iwo Jima memorial to a grassy knoll facing the distant piercing obelisk of the Washington Monument. We were carbed up from breakfast and the pasta dinner we partook of the night before, where families who had not previously met discovered immediate bonds among the room of over 150.  Families also met their volunteer marathon runners who they were teamed with through the diligent work of Team TAPS Marathon founder, leader, and runner Marie Campbell, of Texas, whose husband, Air Force Sgt. Dee Campbell died in the terrorist bombing of Khobar Towers, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, June, 1998.

Katherine Haley, a warm hearted, sleek gazelle and employee on Capitol Hill, and others, civilian and military, who have learned of TAPS and the marathon, which provides a way to raise money for various organizations, volunteered to do so and run in honor of TAPS families and their fallen heroes. To these volunteers our TAPS family is grateful for your contribution of care, time, and efforts.  And ten thousand miles away in undisclosed areas of Iraq we thank the Marines and Soldiers for not only defending us against the most difficult enemy ever known, but for also finding a way on October 29th to participate in their own marathon to honor their comrades and TAPS families.

Yes, we TAPS military families and those supporting us went and will continue to run, jog, stroll, limp, or crawl across the finish line at the top of a hill to show we will do all we can in remembrance of the names and photos we will always wear on our backs.  Our aching, cramping muscles, lack of breath and pushing against the wind after one or seven hours of pounding our feet against asphalt and concrete will never be an iota in comparison to the courage, endurance, and sacrifice given by those we honor.  And like our United States Marines and Soldiers, we TAPS families have no intention of leaving any of our own alone or left behind.  As long as it takes we remain at the race until each of our family has found their way back to the finish line, even when we have to run back out, hold them up, and cross together into safety.

My husband and I will be forever grateful to TAPS families, volunteers, and sponsors who have provided so much support, comfort, and friendship to us since our journey began, February, 2004, and grateful that TAPS has provided us an avenue to give support and friendship to others who have entered this marathon journey behind us. 

And I say to all military survivors, no matter how long ago or the circumstances behind the loss of a loved one who served this nation, this is the marathon of our lives with constant training to endure our life long losses and the strengthening of our weakened hearts. But we must and will do it to honor those gone before us.  Our loved ones, friends, and comrades expect no less from us, for they expected no less of themselves to endure and complete their race in faithful, selfless service to the country, family, and friends they loved.  So as our TAPS motto goes, “Remember the love, celebrate the life, and share the journey,” even through running for remembrance.