Florida “Run for the Fallen” will pass through Monticello on Feb. 10

Laura Young
ECB Publishing, Inc.

On Friday, Feb. 10, a team of more than 20 marathon-trained athletes will embark on a 176-mile, three-day journey from Tallahassee to Jacksonville to honor every service member with ties to Florida who lost their lives since the bombing of the U.S.S. COLE in 2000, which marks the beginning of the War on Terror.
The 3rd Annual Florida “Run for the Fallen” will start in Leon County at 7 a.m. on Friday morning at the Florida Vietnam Veterans Memorial, located at 463-489 S. Monroe St. in Tallahassee. From there, relay runners will stop at each Hero Marker spaced approximately one mile apart along the way to Jacksonville. When the runners stop at each marker, they will perform a short tribute ceremony for the fallen and recognize any waiting Gold Star family, friends, comrades and community members.
Runners will proceed through Leon, Jefferson, Madison, Suwannee, Columbia, Baker, Nassau and Duval counties to finish at the Veterans Memorial Wall in Jacksonville, Fla., at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 12.
Members of American Legion Post 49 in Monticello are volunteering to man several of the markers in the county so, in the absence of family members, the fallen would receive their due reverence. The Post is also supplying the runners and staff with sandwiches and drinks for lunch.
On Day 1 (Friday, Feb. 10) the runners can be seen coming along Hwy. 90 through Jefferson County from around 11:24 a.m. until around 1 p.m. They will pass through downtown Monticello around noon, and Post 49 would like to encourage residents to gather along the east, west and south sides of the Courthouse Circle from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. to show support for the fallen and the runners. For those who want to plan to be at one of the markers in Jefferson County when the runners stop and perform a tribute, the full list is as follows:
Friday, 11:24 a.m. - Marker 24 – 0.125 miles east of corner of Hwy 90 and Desersey Rd. - to honor PFC Daniel B. Chaires, SMSgt Kelly C. Chaney, TSgt Rachel R. Chaney, LTC Richard N. Chatham, PO2 Dean H. Cherry, PFC Melissa L. Cicciarelli and A1C Dustin Cichon.
Friday, 11:35 a.m. - Marker 25 - 3891 W. Washington St. - to honor SPC Marcos A. Cintron, SSG Lillian Clamens, CSM Jack L. Clark Jr., LCpl Jeffery L. Clark, GySgt Michael J. Clark, LCpl Christophe L. Clark, LT Bruce L. Clark and SPC Justin Coleman.
Friday, 11:46 a.m. - Marker 26 - across from 2960 W. Washington St. - to honor SSgt Daniel J. Clay, COL Patrick L. Cloutier, PFC Christopher R. Cobb, PO1 Marlin C. Cochran, SGT Keith A. Coe, SPC Anthony L. Coleman II and PFC Matthew C. Colin.
Friday, 11:57 a.m. - Marker 27 - 0.20 Miles east of corner of Hwy. 90 and Old Lloyd Rd. - to honor SPC Juan R. Collado, PO2 Wayne L. Collins, Sgt Kenneth Conde Jr., MSG George M. Congden, PO1 Martha C. Cook, SSG Julian M. Cooper and Cpl John R. Cooper.
Friday, 12:08 p.m. - Marker 28 - across from Monticello Nurseries at 1578 Hwy. 90 – to honor PFC Benny A. Corcino, SSgt Julio R. Cordero III, SR Christopher C. Cork, CW5 Don S. Cotton, SPC James A. Craft, PO1 Herbert A. Craft and MSG William L. Crays.
Friday, 12:19 p.m. - Marker 29 - 715 W. Washington St. - to honor PFC Tristan R. Creamer, PFC Michael R. Creighton-Weldon, SPC Bernard W. Creque, CPT Jordan A. Crockett, SGT David A. Croft Jr., PO1 Damon A. Crooks and SSGT Carl P. Enis.
Passing around Courthouse Circle between 12:19 and 12:30 p.m.
Friday, 12:30 p.m. - Marker 30 - 1045 E. Washington St. - to honor SGT Bradley C. Crose, LTJG Randy A. Cuajunco, SN Alicia D. Cuddy, SGT 0Domingo D. Cuevas, PFC Branden C. Cummings, SSG Darren Cunningham and SFC Calon C. Cunningham.
Friday, 12:41 p.m. - Marker 31 - 500 feet east of Hwy. 90 and Barnhart Rd. - to honor PV2 Andrew L. Cuthbertson, SSG Jason S. Dahlke, PV2 Tanginara L. Davis, SFC Tracy L. Davis, TSgt Scott E. Davis, SPC Daryl A. Davis and PO3 Cornielous K. Davis.
Friday, 12:52 p.m. - Marker 32 - 0.4 miles east of Corner of Hwy 90 and Hillside Rd. - to honor PO3 Robert C. Dawkins, SSG Darris J. Dawson, COL Michael L. Dawson, SSG Mark R. De Alencar, SPC Patrick D. Deans, SPC Luke A. Degroff and PFC Joseph Del Hierro.
Friday, 01:03 p.m. - Marker 33 - 0.4 miles west of Wolf Creek Bridge – to honor PFC Marc A. Delgado, 1st Lt Frederick Dellecker, A1C Matthew R. Delorfano, COL Roderick G. Demps, Cpl Kevin J. Dempsey, TSgt Jesse J. Denson and PO1 John M. Destavola.
Friday, 01:14 p.m. - Marker 34 – Hwy. 90 and Julie Lane - to honor SSgt Steven C. Detmer, PO1 Jose A. Diaz, LCpl Joshua W. Dickinson, LCpl Roger Dieguezrodriguez, COL Patricia A. Dimeglio, SSG Donnie D. Dixon and TSgt Kenneth P. Dixon.
Friday, 01:25 p.m. - Marker 35 - 0.10 mile east of Hwy. 90 and Big Joe Rd. - to honor SPC Nathan C. Dixon III, CW2 Joshura A. Dobbs, PFC Shaun E. Doherty, TSgt Pamela A. Dombek, PO2 Anthony B. Dominguez, MSG Quintina M. Donald and SPC Scott A. Doolittle.
Friday, 01:36 p.m. - Marker 36 - 6018 E. Washington – to honor FN Gregory T. Dorsett, LCpl Scott E. Dougherty, MSgt Robert B. Drum, CW4 Johnny W. Duce, PV1 Christopher F. Dunne, PO2 Gregory S. Durant, CW2 Michael S. Duskin and PO2 Jason B. Dwelley.
Friday, 01:47 p.m. - Marker 37 - Corner of Hwy, 90 and Kinsey Rd. - to honor PO2 Tremise L. Dyson, HN Derek M. Eames, SSgt Douglas L. Eccleston, SGT Stephen B. Eckert, CPT Daniel W. Eggers, PVT Cory D. Eiland and LTJG Steven R. Elledge Jr.
Friday, 01:58 p.m. - Marker 38 - 7850 E. Washington St. - to honor PFC Kevin J. Ellenburg, CW3 Scott H. Elmore, LT Roberto L. Elortegui, LTC Candido Enriquez-Vasquez Jr., PO2 Jacob E. Eriksen, ENS Philip I. Eschbach IV and Maj Raymond Estelle II.
Friday, 02:09 p.m. - Marker 39 – 0.25 mile east of Hwy. 90 and Gramling – to honor 1STLT Lisa A. Escher, SSG James E. Estep, CW2 Mark W. Evans Jr., MSgt Keith E. Evans, PFC Jeremy R. Ewing, SFC Jason J. Fabrizi and ENS Andrew B. Factor.
The runners will continue on their way into Madison County, stopping to give tribute ceremonies at Hero Markers 40 through 57, where they end the first day at approximately 5:27 p.m. in front of 3866 Hwy. 90 in Madison. They will have dinner and well-deserved R and R for the evening in Madison.
Day 2 (Saturday, Feb. 11) of the Florida “Run for the Fallen” begins at 7 a.m at Four Freedoms Park, located at 112 Range St. in Madison. The runners will make stops at Hero Markers 58 through 114, where the day ends at approximately 5:16 p.m. in front of Coin Laundry, located at 916 Hwy. 90 in Lake City.
Day 3 (Sunday, Feb. 12) of the event begins at 7 a.m. at the corner of Hwy. 90 and 6th St. in Macclenny. Continuing on with their three-day honor tribute, the runners' effort will culminate on with a remembrance ceremony at 1 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Wall, located at 1145 E. Adams St., adjacent to TIAA Bank Field in downtown Jacksonville.
This Hero Marker and route information has been extracted from the website florida.usarunforthefallen. org, where additional marker information can be found, along with maps of the entire route and names of heroes who will be honored at each marker. The site also provides detailed information about the history of the event and will have live coverage streaming over the three days.
It states: “The second weekend of February, we run across Florida to raise awareness for the lives of those who fought and died, to rejuvenate their memories and keep their spirits alive and to aid in the healing process for the Florida residents whose lives have been affected by the war. We are dedicated to Honor and Remember as we blaze a 176 mile tribute trail to Veterans Memorial Wall Jacksonville. One Mission ~ One Team ~ One Tribute.”