Road rave honors past and present Veterans
Published on November 13th, 2002
STONEHAM, MA - There were a myriad of sounds that told us this past Monday was a day worthy of tribute and honor: the rhythmic sound of one foot hitting pavement after another, the pitter-patter of raindrops hailing down from the sky, the gleefully chaotic sound of children running through the traffic-less streets of Stoneham, and the folksy banter of old friends reunited for a special event. The special event was the We Remember 11K road race, and the honorable day in question was Veteran’s Day.
Civilians and armed forces joined together in a show of brotherhood and goodwill for the 2nd annual roadrace through the streets of Stoneham.
“I just feel a special bond with all Veterans, and it’s really something that you can’t even explain,” said American Legion Post 115 Commander Ethel LaSalle as her eyes began to well at the thought of her fallen brothers and sisters. “The Veterans of this country have been through a lot that they’ll never forget. This a time to remember all the POW’s and fallen soldiers that never made it home.”
“An event like this really helps to honor those who sacrificed for their country,” added LaSalle.
The Veteran’s Day We Remember roadrace is the country’s only 11K roadrace (approximately 6.7 miles), and is the only roadrace that has separate awards for veterans and members of the military.
The race promptly began at 11:11 a.m., and was immediately greeted by a sheet of raindrops. The inclement weather did nothing to deter the runners, and a deejay and plates of food awaited spectators and supporters alike.
Commander of Mission Support Group at Hanscom Air Force Base David T. Peters said a few words of inspiration to the runners prior to the race.
“We, through our efforts today, honor our veterans here with us this morning, veterans throughout the country, our current servicemen and women serving around the world, those who can no longer be with us, and those who made the ultimate sacrifice of love,” said Peters. “As each foot hits the ground this day, let it be as a prayer of thanks and hope for all our veterans.”
The runners took heed of Peters’ advice to “Run hard, run long and run fast” as race winner Keiron Tumbleton of Hopkinton finished with a time of 36:21 and Marsha Hogan, of Burlington finished with a time of 46:26. The top finishers from Stoneham were Jonathan Mitchell with a time of 43:23 and Michele Mottola with a time of 47:52.
A Vets roadrace tradition continued and servicemen and women ran in formation, and called out in cadence through the course of the race.
‘The weather wasn’t too bad out there, and it was really motivational going through the course in formation,” said Matt Keenliside, a member of the Bridgewater Armed Forces Club and ROTC program.
Many of the armed forces personnel travelled from as far as Brunswick, Maine in order to participate in the roadrace.
“There wasn’t quite this warm a reception when a lot of us returned from Vietnam in the 1970’s,” said Roger DuMont, a retired commander master chief in the Navy and team leader of a group of Naval petty officers from Brunswick. “Things have really become much better over time, and the people of Stoneham do a great job of taking care of us...and we’ll continue to take care of all you.”
The race was able to raise $485 for the Northeast Outreach Center, a group out of Haverhill that provides services for veterans.
“I think it was successful again this year,” said race organizer and veteran Natalee Webb. “One of the biggest goals is to honor veterans both retired and active, and we always hope to accomplish that.”
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