Saluting California’s fallen heroes
150-mile run honors fallen troops from California
Approximately 6,500 men and women from the United States Armed Forces have died since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and 762 of them were from California, according to Kevin Graves.
Graves is the founder of the Some Gave All — The Joey Graves Foundation, a nonprofit organization that honors fallen members of the military by assisting organizations and causes such as the California Run for the Fallen.
The 150-mile run through Northern California takes place over three days, with each mile representing a different service member who gave their lives in the line of duty. The run also honors Gold Star Families — relatives of the fallen troops.
Spc. Joey Graves, Kevin’s son, is one such fallen serviceman, who died in July 2006, inspiring Kevin to start the foundation.
“I have chosen to take an active involvement in making sure that none of our fallen heroes are forgotten,” Kevin said.
Roxanne Longevin has helped to organize the run since its inception in 2011. A Gold Star Mother herself, Roxanne lost her son, Cpl. Sean Longevin of the U.S. Army, when he was killed in Afghanistan in 2007 and sees it as a way to honor his memory.
“Every opportunity I get, I want to continue his legacy and make sure people continue to honor and remember not just Sean, but all of our fallen heroes,” Roxanne said.
The run has taken place in California for six years, organized by Travis Air Force Base, and began this year on Friday at North Lower Sacramento Road and East Woodson Road in Acampo. All of the runners this year are members of the Air Force, according to Kevin, although the run is open to all branches of the military and the final 5K run on Sunday is open to the public.
After Kevin says a prayer, asking God to watch over the runners and the Gold Star Families at 3 p.m. on Friday, the first four participants read the names of fallen troops from laminated cards attached to small U.S. flags.
The flags are then planted in the ground before the runners give a traditional military salute and begin their three-mile shift, stopping each mile to plant more flags as they make their way to Elk Grove.
Airman First Class Mario Hernandez is one such runner, who said that his supervisor at Travis Air Force Base informed him of the event. Although this is his first time participating, he plans to run as many 3-mile legs as possible.
“It’s the least we can do for (fallen service members). It’s nice to have someone honor them and make sure they’re not forgotten,” Hernandez said.
Friday marked the start of Staff Sgt. Hongtao Wu’s third year participating in the run, an event which combines his passion for running with his desire to honor the fallen troops and their families.
“It’s important to remember the ones who gifted all to their country, and to honor the Gold Star Families,” Wu said.
Motorcycle riders such as Tech. Sgt. Anthony Grigg drive metal stakes into the ground at each stop to make it easier for the runners to plant their flags. A 20-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force and president of the Green Knights Motorcycle Club, which is made up of of members of various branches of the armed forces, Grigg has helped escort riders on his motorcycle to ensure their safety for two years now.
“It’s a great honor. Being in the military for 20 years, I’ve had a lot of friends go through war, and some have passed away. It’s really a great honor to be able to help out,” Grigg said.
The runners will pass through Lodi today to plant flags to commemorate people from Lodi who gave their lives while serving such as Spc. Kyle Coumas, who died on Oct. 21, 2009 in Afghanistan.
Coumas’ friends and family will gather at the corner of North Stockton Street and East Kettleman Lane at approximately 8 a.m. to welcome the runners at approximately 8:30 a.m., according to his mother, Lori.
“It’s quite an honor. It really lifts our hearts to know that Kyle is still remembered. One of the biggest fears of parents of the fallen is that their heroes will be forgotten, and it makes us feel good to know that they will always be remembered,” Lori said.