THE RUN
When I enlisted in the Army in 1991 at the tender age of 18 the world was a very different place. In 1991 I had a few other friends who also enlisted but for the most part it was a rarity. Most of my friends at the time didn’t understand why I would want to enlist, “go and be a robot” one said. Another asked me why I wanted to be a “baby killer”. Not a bad guy but a little hyperbolic.
With end of Desert Storm, the military had shaken off a lot of the post-Vietnam war negative image. The attitude toward the military and service was nothing like it is today where it is commonplace to show respect for veterans. That says a lot about how twenty years of war affect society. The most genuine and kind display of this I ever saw was in Bangor International airport in Maine. No matter what time, day or night, holiday or not, when a military aircraft lands at the airport, there are good citizens of Bangor there to greet the troops. Clapping, for them, shaking hands, chucking shoulders and even some hugging goes on. I will always love Bangor for that.
Like a lot of veterans, I credit my time in service as being one of the most formative experiences of my life. It helped me develop a strong work ethic and a sense of service. What success I have is directly attributed to my service. It has meant some sacrifices along the way, long periods spent apart from family and loved ones. The occasional offer of physical danger, not to mention a couple of gnarly cases of dysentery, but in the end it was worth it. There is a value in service to larger cause, to sacrifice for something greater than oneself. Not to mention the sense of being a part of a team, and a family other than my own.
I have been on three deployments, Kosovo in 2000, Iraq in 2003 and 2008. One constant, during the three years of those deployments has been the support I received from friends and family. Farewell parties, welcome home parties, care packages and most importantly letters. Sadly only a few people reading this will understand what it is like to get a letter from your love, family member or good friend while deployed.
I was lucky in that many people wrote to me and sent care packages. For many people I was the troop they knew. Two of those people were my friend Cheryl and her husband Jon. Their care packages were never just filled with candy or treats or solely with useful items but also included knickknacks like a micro-garden gnome or a tape of a broadcast of the Prairie Home Companion to name a couple and other things to bring a smile to my face.
The support didn’t end there. I came home from my last deployment in November of 2008, miracle of miracles I was home for Thanksgiving. In the summer of 2009, the Red Sox Foundation held the first Run to Home Base. A road race that raises awareness for the health care needs of veterans, service members and their family members. The race ends in one of New England’s most sacred places, Fenway Park, at you guessed Home Base.
For me the face of the race is my friend Cheryl, who runs for her veteran relatives and all veterans. This year she will run her 15th race, having raised thousands of dollars for the foundation in that time. She would be annoyed about my even remotely focusing this on her when there are so many other good people involved in the race.
There are 1600 people who volunteer to support the race and ancillary events. Last year 2,609 ran in person and virtually according to the Run to Home Base website. They raised $3 Million last year, it was their banner year to date. In the last fifteen years they have raised $28 Million and helped over 35 thousand veterans and their families. That is, in a word, HUGE!
Sometimes it seems like there is a perception that words like sacrifice and patriotism are the exclusive domain of veterans. But one need never to have served to be a patriot, to be a good citizen. Tomorrow morning, on a day when thousands of people could be going to the beach, or golfing or doing just about anything else, thousands of people will get up earlier than they need to on a Saturday. Many will go to help as volunteers who will do things like man the water points or help set up the route and do the many, many things that help make the Race a success. Others will be running the race. Still even more people will sacrifice some of their hard-earned money and donate. All born of a sense of duty toward the veterans and service members they know and to those they don’t.
Service and sacrifice come in many different forms. Large and small, dramatic or humble. Sometimes it’s in service of one’s nation in uniform. And sometimes, once a year, in July, it is my favorite team, one of my closest friends, and thousands of people coming together to raise money for a great cause.