As an Army Mortuary Affairs Soldier and Staff Sergeant I began painting and participating in races (walk/run 5ks, 10ks, Marathons) after my discharge as a way for me to deal with all the death I've seen and remember some of my fellow Mortuary Affairs Soldiers who took their own lives because of our job.
I was fortunate to find MedalsofHonor.org at the 2016 Bataan Memorial Death March. It has allowed me donate all my medals, bibs and tshirts to the families of Fallen Soldiers so they are not forgotten. This is a cause very dear to me, and running races is no longer about me but instead to make sure our Fallen Soldiers and their families are not forgotten.
I have been running all of my races for Medals of Honor for years. I used to run my races and my only goal was running as fast as I could and hoping to win a medal for my efforts, it was strictly all about me. Then came MOH, once I read their story I knew there was a much more important reason to run than for myself! They have given me a brand new reason for running races, to honor those who gave so much to our country. It's not about me anymore, it's about honoring the real heroes of this country!
An Absolutely wonderfully run and extremely dedicated to their cause organization, none finer or more focused to their mission. I happened across them by pure chance at an Event Expo in 2016. Racing for a fallen hero brought a meaning to my race and a connection to his parents that I share to this day. Since then I have participated in additional events with MOH and supported other events and endeavors that benefit the surviving family members of these service women and men.