There were stars out at Furman University today, so many you could hardly count them all. White ones on a field of blue, blue ones on a field of white, and gold ones. These were not stars of stage or screen, nor were they TV reality show stars, they were just ordinary people wearing badges of honor. Many of those stars hid deep scars of pain, loss and anguish. Many were proudly displayed as a sign of those who are currently serving. And everywhere you looked; there in plain view were the Stars and Stripes, the symbol of our country that proudly waved today.
They were all at A Hero’s 5K run in honor of SPC Geoffrey Whitsitt who gave his life in the service of his country in Logar Province, Afghanistan, at the age of 21 in January 2010. Debby and Steven, his parents, along with his brother and over 400 runners of every description came together in a celebration of Honor. “We do this in his memory, and especially to honor all veterans,” Debby said. Then she showed his shadow box filled with insignia, medals and his photos. Nearby her other son Steven stood – he had flown in to participate today from his Navy job in Washington State.
His friend, Ryan McClymonds, had served at Ft. Bragg as Geoffrey’s Team Leader. The grief in his eyes was plainly visible. He spoke fondly of his friend, but the empty place in his heart may never be filled again. Steven Whitsitt, Geoffrey’s father, addressed the crowd before the start of the run. The sidewalk in front of him, alongside Paladin Stadium, was lined with American Flags held by members of the Patriot Guard Riders, an escort group that travels to events such as this, and sometimes somber events for those who give the ultimate sacrifice such as Geoffrey. His voice quavered and cracked with emotion as he thanked many people in the crowd. He paid special attention to the parents of fallen hero, Pfc. Justin M. Whitmire, who was returned to his home in Simpsonville to be buried this past month. Steven told them, “You have to know that this community loves you and supports you!” Spontaneous applause broke out and lasted a while. He proudly noted that this was the second year for this event, that the amount of runners had doubled, and that “we have gone international with runners from Canada making the trip down from our northern neighbor.” He also announced that he had talked to some troops in Afghanistan, and that “as soon as we can shovel enough snow off the course, we will run it.” Sprinkled throughout the crowd, he recognized members of the 118th MP Company, which Geoffrey had served with, from Ft. Bragg that had made the trip down. One of them even did the “run” on crutches.
There were Wounded Warriors there with their families running in support of this cause. There were moms, dads, brothers and sisters, bikers and bankers, grandmothers and grandfathers, girlfriends and wives, friends and dogs too, all joining in to show that there are still people that remember, people that care, and people that support those who go in harm’s way, some who come home, and some who are brought home. It wasn’t a race to proclaim a winner. It was a gathering of genuine Americans who want to remember.
To quote Abraham Lincoln from his famous Gettysburg Address, “It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.”
It was a good start today.
A Hero’s 5K was designated as a support function for the Upstate Military Support Coalition this year. The Upstate Military Support Coalition is a grass roots organization based in the Upstate region of South Carolina, dedicated to recognizing and caring for our local military personnel who are deployed to a war zone. http://www.upstatemilitarysupport.com/.
The Patriot Guard Riders is a diverse amalgamation of riders from across the nation. We have one thing in common besides motorcycles. We have an unwavering respect for those who risk their very lives for America’s freedom and security. We don’t care what you ride or if you ride, what your political views are, or whether you’re a hawk or a dove. It is not a requirement that you be a veteran. It doesn’t matter where you’re from or what your income is; you don’t even have to ride. The only prerequisite is Respect. Our main mission is to attend the funeral services of fallen American hero as invited guest of the family. http://www.patriotguard.org/.
