We arrived at White Sands Missile Range at 5:30 in the morning, and we lined up for the ceremony around 6am. It was very chilly that morning and so early it was still very dark. There were thousands of civilians, veterans and active duty military present. It was so amazing to come together for something this big. It's not often that I get to experience marching alongside veterans, wounded warriors and military personnel. Most races have a feeling of comradery but this far surpassed any race I've participated in in the past.
The ceremony described why we do the memorial march and what the history is. Then they did a symbolic role call. The names of three survivors were called, and then the names of those who had fallen since the last Bataan were called. The list was long, and it sent chills down my spine. I think we (civilians) become so removed from it, we don't see it or experience it so it feels far away. Hearing the list of names, and the pause afterwards, indicating that they were no longer with us.... it's something that hits so close to home. They should be here, but they aren't.
Then the survivors drove by in vans, we couldn't really see them though through the windows. After that, the wounded warriors came through. I cannot even describe what it felt like. It was a whole group of heroes, many who were amputees or double amputees. We clapped and cheered them on, but I really felt like I could not possibly fully express my gratitude for these men and women.
Following the ceremony, they fired a shot (blank of course) and I remember thinking about all the vets around me with their service dogs. With thousands of people around us, I knew a good portion of them likely had PTSD. I remember hoping that the shot fired didn't startle them or catch them off guard.
After a while, we began walking towards the starting line. A GIANT flag hung overhead with the sunrise shining from behind, illuminating it. It was beautiful. I'm not sure I've ever even seen a flag that big. Ahead in the line, there were survivors, and we got to shake their hands. That's powerful stuff. I can't really even do that justice with words. What they had endured was far, far worse than the march we were about to take. Ours was about a third as long as theirs, and we had all the amenities. If we became injured or experienced heat exhaustion, medics were everywhere to help. If we simple couldn't go on, we would get to quit, and go home. There were water stations with fresh fruit. The march the Bataan survivors had faced had none of those things. If they fell behind or slowed down, they could die. Every step of the way, I tried to remind myself of that.
The first half of the march is mostly uphill and much of it is through sand. I learned very quickly why most people wore a type of cover over their ankles, and made a mental note that if I ever did this again, I needed to get a pair.
It was actually a very scenic march. As the sun rose higher into the sky, I started noticing these little yellow flowers. I thought it was oddly appropriate for the occasion. Yellow is a color that signifies waiting for service members to come home. (Also, just an FYI, many wear Red on Fridays, RED= Remember Everyone Deployed).
It was a VERY long march for us and it took my husband and I about 10 hours. We stopped once because he thought he had some mild heat exhaustion, despite drinking lots of water and gatorade. The dry desert heat is sneaky because it wicks away your sweat very rapidly. My husband had chosen to do his march in his uniform, which is "winter weight" rather than "summer weight". After stopping to rest, re-hydrating and seeing a medic briefly, we were once again on our way.
The first half seemed to go fast, but the last half was agonizingly slow. Towards the last quarter of the 26.2 miles, I felt blisters forming on my feet. My back ached and my knees ached, and I was only carrying a camelback on my back. Many participants do the "heavy" march, and carry 35 pound packs through the race. I can't even imagine. Honestly, I can't. I felt like a bit of a wuss, carrying my little camelback and feeling the deep ache in my lower back and in my neck.
Someone mentioned, "Watch for the water tower. You will walk straight toward it for several miles, and then, you'll finally make a loop around it. You will hate that water tower. You will curse it. But once you walk around it, you're done."
Sure enough, there it was, looming in the distance. We walked along the back of post housing, where someone graciously was spraying us lightly with a hose. Finally. Almost there. We finally made it to the water tower, walked all the way around and we could just about see the finish line. Finally. I was just so ready to get back to the car. I wanted so badly to take off my shoes. You have no idea, I wanted those shoes off so bad, but walking barefoot in the desert would be a terrible idea. People think "sand" and think soft, beachy sand. This sand isn't like that. It's course and rocky, and full of burrs and random debris from dead cacti and such.
Just after we crossed the finish line, a General was there to shake our hand. I was pretty geeked! As someone who wants to enlist, it's pretty cool to meet top leadership. I appreciated that he was there to congratulate us, especially since we weren't fast finishers.
We had our photos taken, and then headed straight for the car. Problem was, the finish line was much further from the car than the start line. We had to hike back to the car.
I got a total of around 62,000 steps, climbed 195 floors, and burned over 4,000 calories! (Thanks Fitbit!)
Even after all of that, feeling so extremely exhausted, with huge blisters and sore muscles and a fatigued body..... we hadn't even come close to what the Bataan survivors faced. That kind of realization is very powerful, and it fills you with a gratitude. You have to experience this to really understand. It is something I think everyone should do at least once. It's something that belongs on your bucket list.
To any veteran or service member reading this, you have my sincerest gratitude and appreciation. Thank you for your service.
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