The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1000682
C-12 Wednesday, July 4, 2018 The Press-Dispatch EAST GIBSON NEWS Submit school news: Email: egnews@ pressdispatch.net Deadline: Noon on Friday Email egnews@ pressdispatch.net GOT NEWS? RUN REMEMBERS FALLEN SOLDIERS By Janice Barniak Tammy Horns, mother of the late Pfc. Christopher Horns, drove from Westcliffe, Colo., Friday to hear her son's name spoken aloud, and to speak it herself during America's Run for the Fallen, which remem- bers the names of soldiers killed since 2000 by running a mile for each over the course of several months. The runners and Gold Star fami- lies came through Fort Branch Fri- day and Saturday on their one-time quest to cross the country and end at Arlington Cemetery in Virginia. Organizer Jaye Lene Long said that, because they started in Califor- nia and are going chronologically by date of death, they're ending with the soldiers most recently killed, which means that even as the team logged 51 miles Friday, they added miles at the end of the run because of people more recently deceased in Iraq and A fghanistan. Horns and the other mothers, sons and brothers of those killed as a re- sult of military service found it diffi- cult to say the names out loud, and some weren't able to say the name. Horns said that wasn't because they didn't want to say them and re- member—it was because of how very much they wanted to say it and have the name call the person home. "Anytime I get an opportunity to speak my son's name, it brings him back to me," she said. "Any day I can talk to someone about my son is a good day." Christopher Horns died during his service in Iraq, and she said it's easy for people to forget, because deaths can go unpublicized, how many peo- ple have been lost in the ongoing wars in Iraq and A fghanistan. Long said while others will of- ten remember only soldiers listed as killed in action, their run also in- cludes those killed during training exercises and by suicide. She described the tears in one mothers' voice after learning her son, who committed suicide while in ser- vice, would be honored. "She's going to drive to Kentucky to be there. She said, 'this means so much to us,'" said Long. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime event." The run started after founder George Lutz lost his son and start- ed a smaller run—the event expand- ed this year for one time only, howev- er, to go across the country and say every name of every soldier lost, one per mile. The runners trade off miles, but for soldiers who don't have anyone to remember them or whose fami- ly members aren't physically able, the core team runs the mile dedicat- ed to the person. One member has run more than 800 miles over the 120 days and 20,000 names spoken dur- ing the event to date. It's a rugged trip—sometimes the group beds down in an RV at an aban- doned gas station, but Friday night, South Gibson VFW hosted the group at the post. Mother Deborah Whitaker, of War- saw, Ill., was following the group over the weekend as they approached where her son would be remem- bered in Livermore, Ky., Sunday. Even though as a horticulturist this is a critical working time for her, she felt she needed to bring his son, Dy- lan, to run the mile in his dad's hon- or and hear his father's name. The grandson shared his dad's name with the group at the VFW. "Staff Sgt. Dustin A. Whitaker, my dad," he said. Dustin Whitaker did two tours, one in Iraq and one in A f- ghanistan before his death. The founder said he started the run to acknowledge the sacrifices of the soldiers and their families since the year 2000. "On 9/11, the country was dev- astated. On 9/12, you couldn't buy an American flag. There was such a shortage that there wasn't enough material to make more. Three months later, those flags were fad- ed...the only ones left now are the ones who had them before 9/11. We, as a country, just want to move on. It's the same with those who have giv- en their lives, people rally in the mo- ment, then it's fading, and the family is left to grieve on its own. Their own family members will ask, 'When are you going to get over it? It was five years ago or ten years ago,'" he said. He said that appreciation of their sacrifice is important to those who survive the loss. "We can't give the loved one back. We would all like to have just one more minute," his voice broke, pre- sumably because of the loss of his own son. "One more minute with those who lost their lives to protect this generation in the last 18 years." The group is moving forward in time as they log miles, and with more than 20,000 names, they're at 2011, with another 40 days to go, closing in on meeting families whose loss- es are fresh, with the last few days stretching to take a less direct route to fit in more miles before Arlington to accommodate those who have fall- en since the run began and or will fall in the next month interim. "Ten hours a day we're calling out names," Lutz said. The group says names by the side of noisy highways with semis passing, and says them again at the end of the day. "These names are going into the atmosphere. But this nation is deaf," he said, asking for people to spread the word of their work so that fam- ilies they haven't located can hear about what they're doing. "I want to say it takes a village," he said. "But it takes—" He looks for the word. "A nation" quietly suggests a group member who has run 873 miles since California. "A nation," Lutz agrees. George Lutz, left, has asked families who have traveled to see loved ones during the Honor and Remember Run for the Fallen to sign the group's flag. The flag is near full with a month left to run. Sully's Towing brought a large flag to honor the Run for the Fallen families who have lost their fam- ily members during recent war. Dylan Whitaker calls out the name of his father, Staff Sgt. Dustin A. Whitaker, Fri- day night at the VFW Branch. Many had difficulty saying the name of their loved one out loud. Honor and Remember Run for the Fallen presented a memori- al plaque and flag to the mother of LCpl Jordan S. Bastean, who died Oct. 23, 2011, and whose name was on the list of those men- tioned on their trek through southern Indiana Friday. 'Working like a dog' a compliment in contest By Janice Barniak A crowd cheered "go Sam" and "c'mon Sam" as the lit- eral underdog of the Gibson County 4-H Agility Compe- tition, a spotted blue-heel- er with a big smile, made a blue ribbon comeback after starting out the competition determined to show owner Ryann Allen how much fast- er he could run around the hurdles as opposed to over them. With one contestant in each division, all dogs had their day receiving blue rib- bons, and owners took home top prizes while learning from judges the areas they could work on in the future to better connect with their dogs Thursday at the agility track of Vanderburgh Coun- ty Fairgrounds. The other new dog in town was Toto, competing in the beginning division A and led by owner Kendal Gomez. The "chichipoo" started strong by fearlessly tackling the raised walkways but hit a snag in the tunnel obstacle when unwilling to leave his owner's side. Taking reserve grand champion in the intermedi- ate class for agility was Jes- sica Fauquher and her Lab- rador Twilight. Aussie breed Oreo took grand champion status with partner Alyssa Fauquher, winning a tie in the number of points won against Twilight, but giv- en the championship title due to the Advanced class the dog competed in, which made his challenges more difficult. The dogs also had a novel- ty contest, that saw Twilight as a cowboy, Sam as a vam- pire, Oreo as a cookie with his owner dressed as milk, and Toto in nightclothes with his owner in pajamas. In dog showmanship, Al- len was junior champion, and Gomez was junior re- serve, while Alyssa Fau- quher took reserve champi- on and Jessica Fauquher was grand champion. On Monday, in the cat show, Allie Patterson took grand champion, and Ryann Allen took reserve grand champion. Jessica Fauquher leads Twilight, a Labrador, over a hurdle. "He's really elegant in his jumps," she said. Chichipoo Toto scales a board without issue during the dog agility course, hosted by Vander- burgh County's agility course Saturday in Evans- ville. Purdue Extension hires new educator By Janice Barniak Growing up on a horse farm in Maryland, Ad- die Thornley, new Gibson County Purdue Extension agricultural educator, used extension services in the home. "I really looked up to our extension agent," she said. So after she graduated with a master's degree from West Virginia University in environmental economics and in the agricultural field, it was easy to picture herself in a Purdue Extension role, especially after her fiancé received an offer as a Pike County extension educator. "It just kind of worked out," she said, of both her and her husband-to-be re- ceiving jobs in extension. As the new extension agent, Thornley said she's very interested in drones and applying technology to agriculture, besides being a resource to the ag commu- nity. "People are starting to use drones more because they're cheaper than hiring someone to take pictures, and less risky because it's less cost," she said. "They take really, really good pic- tures and can help you map out your field." She said there's still a lot of fear about drones, howev- er, with people seeing them as a way to spy on others, as opposed to a tool to use. Thornley hopes in her new role she'll be able to change that. "I haven't been out here long, but even though I'm not from here, this is my new home, and I'm excited to be here," Thornley said. Addie Thornley