Seven U.S. Marines and 4 Army National Guardsmen died March 10, 2015 when the Army UH-60 they were flying in on a night training mission crashed into the Santa Rosa Sound in Navarre, FL.
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Now, 14 of their brothers are planning to pay tribute to the fallen by forming seven teams of two and rucking 770 miles from Navarre, FL to Courthouse Bay on Camp Lejeune.
The teams will average 11 miles per leg and 110 miles over 10 days. During the ruck they will be wearing a 45 pound ruck sack and carrying a paddle recovered from the crash.
Staff Sgt. Nathan Harris, who helped organize the ruck said:
“We decided to organize this event to honor our fallen brothers. We know it will be hard both physically and mentally. All of which we take on willingly. For us, 10 days of mental and physical discomfort and pain will never compare to the loss felt by the families who lost their brother, father, husband, and son. We know all of this, and proudly march to ensure our fallen brothers are honored and their sacrifices are never forgotten.”
The names of the fallen seven Marine Raiders which inspired the seven teams were:
Captain Stanford Shaw III
Master Sgt. Thomas Saunders
Staff Sgt. Marcus Bawol
Staff Sgt. Liam Flynn
Staff Sgt. Kerry Kemp
Staff Sgt. Trevor Blaylock
Staff Sgt. Andrew Seif
Please pray for the fallen and their loved ones.
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From OAF Nation:
NAVARRE, Fla. — On March 10, 2015 seven United States Marines and four Army National Guardsmen died when the Army UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter carrying them crashed in the Santa Rosa Sound in Navarre, Fla. The seven Marine Raiders, members of the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion of Camp Lejeune, N.C., were returning from a night training mission. On March 11, 2016, 14 Marine Raiders will set out on a more than 770-mile ruck march to honor their fallen comrades and to ensure they are never forgotten.
Fourteen Marine Raiders will begin a 770-mile trek March 11, 2016 from the crash site in Navarre, Fla. relaying through Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina before ending the march at Courthouse Bay on Camp Lejeune. Each two-man team will average 11-miles per leg and approximately 110-miles during the 10-day trek, all while wearing a 45-pound rucksack and carrying the recovered paddle from the crash. The seven teams represent the seven Marine Raiders who died: Captain Stanford Shaw III, Master Sgt. Thomas Saunders, Staff Sgt. Marcus Bawol, Staff Sgt. Liam Flynn, Staff Sgt. Kerry Kemp, Staff Sgt. Trevor Blaylock, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Seif. “All of these men were warriors. Some of them were my students and some were my friends. All of them were brothers. What would you do for your brothers and family” stated Gunnery Sgt. Adam Kinosh, one of the 14 ruckers.
