week 8 - " 9/11 display and Run for the Fallen event"



2,975 U.S. and international flags in front of Old Main

  We are using this week's adventure to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks and tie it in with our involvement with the Run/Walk for the Fallen.
Eastern's ROTC made a beautiful display in front of Old Main for part of the university's 9/11 observance. ROTC cadets placed 2,603 US flags and 372 international flags in memory of each person who died in the attacks on the World Trade Center and at the Pentagon plus the  crash of Flight 93 in Pennsylvania. As you might imagine, from seeing the photo, it was quite a sobering and inspiring site. We didn't remember the number of international people killed that day. Mom counted 12 Colombian flags in the EIU display. There was one death at the Pentagon with a local connection. A lieutenant colonel, who had worked at Eastern in ROTC for several years, was assigned to the Pentagon and died that day.



People walk with US flags. National Guard unit lines up for PT.

 The photo at left and below shows a couple scenes from this year's Run/Walk for the Fallen that we have co-sponsored the past two years. The basic premise is that we ask people to run or walk a mile for one of the 231 soldiers from Illinois who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan. We give people a card with a soldier's photo and bio. We also give them a small US flag. When their mile is done, they place their flag in the south end zone and ring a large bell. We did this from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the high school track. When done, there were 581 flags in the end zone. That's how many people came out this year to run or walk. Our event is part of

the national Run for the Fallen event and we were the only one in Illinois. Several families who lost soldiers came to participate. This year, we invited the Illinois Patriot Guard Traveling Memorial Wall to come to our event, which was held Aug. 20. The photo at right shows a couple people looking at the wall that has a photo and info of each fallen Illinois soldier. It's nice to see so many people take the time to remember and honor the soldiers. Mom and I are glad to play a small part. We already are looking forward to next year's event.