SAN VICENTE, El Salvador - About 30,000 people participated in “Pat’s Run” on April 16 in Tempe, Ariz., but Sun Devil Stadium wasn’t the only finish line. U.S. Army Master Sgt. Terry Thompson, with some help, replicated the run more than a thousand miles south in El Salvador.
Thompson has only missed “Pat’s Run,” held in honor of former Arizona Cardinal safety Pat Tillman, twice. Both absences were during deployments in the Middle East.
“It means a lot to us Arizonans,” said Thompson, a member of the 996th Medical Aerial Support Company, Arizona Army National Guard.
But within days of signing up for this year’s run, Thompson realized he wasn’t going to be in Arizona for the event — he was to be in El Salvador for the Army.
“I was a little disappointed, but I figured I’d just run 4.2 miles in El Salvador,” said Thompson who is serving, along with other soldiers of the 996th, a two-week rotation here as part of Beyond the Horizon 2011 El Salvador, a training exercise to provide humanitarian assistance to people recovering from Hurricane Ida in 2009.
Tillman, who wore No. 42 at Arizona State, died in 2004 serving in Afghanistan only a year after he declined a $3.6 million contract offer to stay in the NFL. The race was established in 2005 to honor Tillman a year after his death.
Since 2005, the race has gained national recognition. This year, it included participants from 48 states.
That’s why, when Thompson told fellow soldiers of his intent to run 4.2 miles for Tillman, they joined him.
“Tillman’s story is a story for Arizonans, military personnel and people needing motivation alike,” said Col. Timothy Houser, the commander of Beyond the Horizon 2011.
Houser’s 130th Maneuver Enhance Brigade, North Carolina Army National Guard, will serve as the command and control element of the exercise until its conclusion in June. But, even living on the other side of the country, Houser knew about “Pat’s Run.”
“I flew out to Arizona last year to participate in the race,” Houser said. “I have read the books about Tillman and, from what I’ve read, know him to be an open-minded, passionate individual. He is someone we can all learn from.”
About 50 soldiers ran “Pat’s Run” in El Salvador on Saturday, and Thompson didn’t have to run alone.
After the race, soldiers chanted “42” in honor of Tillman. Pvt. Jenni Beauchamp, of the 996th, even completed an extra lap for her husband, a retired soldier too disabled with back injuries to perform the run.
“My husband always idolized Tillman,” Beauchamp said. “He was such a motivation for all of us. Today he motivated me to run an extra lap for my husband.”
| Date Taken: | 04.16.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 04.17.2011 13:55 |
| Story ID: | 68882 |
| Location: | SAN VICENTE, SV |
| Web Views: | 434 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, U.S. soldiers stationed in El Salvador participate in 'Pat's Run', by Capt. Emerson Marcus, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
LEAVE A COMMENT