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August 31, 2004
From Iraq to NYC
A very dedicated group of athletes is training for the New York City Marathon on November 7, 2004 - and they face conditions that go beyond arduous. My son is one of them.
Lance Corporal Bill Riecke, is a US Marine serving in Iraq as part of a Combined Anti-Armor Team (CAAT). He and seven fellow Marines have formed a team and are training for the New York Marathon. They are: 1st. Lt. Isaac Moore, Wasilla, Alaska, the platoon commander for CAAT Blue; Sgt. Ryan Harnett, New York, a section leader for CAAT Blue; Cpl. Kris Benson, Columbus, Ohio, CAAT Blue section leader; Cpl. Bill Riecke II, Salem, Oregon, vehicle commander for CAAT Blue; 1st. Lt. Dave Flemming, Lansdown, Pennsylvania, platoon commander for first platoon of Kilo Company; Cpl. Austin Clancy, Salem, Oregon, squad leader for Kilo 1; 1st. Lt. Chris McManus, Manhasset, New York, platoon commander for CAAT White; and SSGT. Alex Carlson, Chicago, Illinois, platoon sergeant, India Co.
As with their daily operations, this group of Marines came together to focus their energy and abilities in order to achieve their goal to run the New York City Marathon after returning from their mission in Iraq. They are diligent in pursuing their goal despite the high temperature, a mere 130 degrees on most days, unending sand storms, and poor training facilities, along with daily combat operations. Their marathon training ground is a .44 mile route within the perimeter of their firm base, a track they built themselves. The team members train by running in circles for a very long time and usually in the wee hours of the night to avoid the high temperatures.
Operation Iraqi Freedom is their mission and is always their first priority so they train whenever they can. As a CAAT unit, they are always on standby, just like the fire department. They train between missions and the heat and get called to go out at any time.
A few days ago they had been running for about forty minutes and had to go to the assistance of other Marines that had been hit by a roadside bomb. There were casualties which meant securing the helicopter landing zone then transporting the injured Marines to the helicopter. Since they were running when this happened and were dressed in shorts and T-shirts when the call came in, there was only time to put on flak jackets and helmets and grab their weapons before racing out to the vehicles to help their buddies. While definitely out of uniform, they still performed their mission with the dedication and professionalism expected of all members of the U.S. Marine Corps.
Their athletic aspirations provide them with a focus to briefly take their mind off the war and to make a connection to the life they left behind. Sometime in September or October they will return home and training for the marathon will continue. They have been accepted by the marathon as the USMC Team.
We would like to find sponsorship of these very courageous Marines. Airfare and hotel expenses while in New York, as well as running apparel and shoes would be highly appreciated, although I'm sure they would be grateful for any sponsorship. These Marines have spent the past seven months bravely fighting for the liberty for the people of Iraq and the security of all Americans. For most of them this is their second trip to the sand box. If anyone reading this post has suggestions on how to gain sponsorship for the USMC team, please contact Connie Riecke at riecke@marinecorpsmoms.com.
Posted by at August 31, 2004 07:31 AM
Comments
Connie,
I might suggest talking to the news, radio and television stations in the area of New York and explaining the situation and dedication of those Marines to the local media. I'm hopeful that with enough media awareness they'll get the sponsorship and support they need for the Marathon and the Marines will be off to a winning start.
Posted by: Mara at September 2, 2004 10:34 PM
Connie,
I suggest you contact the Oprah Winfrey show since she herself is a marathon runner and one who truly appreciaties the sacrifices it takes to run a marathon, and because one of the runners is from Chicago. I would email, send a registered letter and maybe even send a VHS tape. Hey, maybe you could do a short 3 minute or so movie, and send it via email. Maybe Deb could help you do this. If you do contact Oprah, be specific about how she could help! When asking for help or financial support it is always good to have a projected budget outlining costs.
I also suggest you contact Bev W. at Intel and see if she knows of someone at Intel who could be approached to sponsor. And what about Nike? Since there are two Oregonians in the group maybe that could be a possible link to Nike. Plus, the NYC Marathon is a huge national event for which Nike could be connected.
Another idea, maybe you could contact one of the Portland and/or Eugene television stations and get them to run a short spot on the news about it - or one of the local Oregon morning shows - to get the word out locally.
Good luck!
Posted by: Carre at September 4, 2004 09:07 AM
Interesting. I knew about the marathon, but my son didn't bother to tell me all of this. I have to get it off of a website. Since this story was originally posted, Kris Benson received a combat meritorious promotion to Sergeant of Marines and was selected as the 7th Regiment Marine of the Quarter. He also returned home with the one medal I hoped he would pass on -- the Purple Heart. I have a feeling he is not the only Marine in this team to have that medal. There is probably more than one interesting story here. Semper Fi. Dr. Dennis Benson, appropsolu@aol.com, 614-840-0466
Posted by: Dr. Dennis Benson at October 18, 2004 12:58 AM