Emotional event

It was long, and it was painful.
But mostly, Indiana’s Run for the Fallen was emotional.
Portland’s Donald Gillespie and his 12 fellow runners completed their 144-mile journey Sunday afternoon, culminating with a closing ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park in Indianapolis.
“It was a wonderful experience,” said Gillespie. “I don’t know if I could ever explain how emotional it was.”
That emotion came to the forefront especially Sunday afternoon in Indianapolis, where runners of all ages joined the core group for the final mile on the way to meeting group of Gold Star Survivors. The runners couldn’t help but break down in that moment, Gillespie said, noting the heartache he and the others felt when meeting with those who have lost a loved one in military service.
The closing ceremony included presenting three Honor and Remember flags to the families of Army Staff Sgt. Paul S. Pabla, Marine Cpl. Michael C. Kaufer and Marine Sgt. Bradley W. Atwell. Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. J. Stewart Goodwin spoke about the importance of honoring military heroes, and there was also a presentation of colors, prayer and national anthem.
The event concluded with the runners — Brad Harris, Joshua Foor, Jason Hoeffel, Eric Roddy, Andrew Burroughs, Frank Murphy, Sam Hartman, Eric Evitts, Josh Dooley, Matt Bowman, Jeremiah Kill, Aaron Springer and Gillespie — reading the names of the 219 Indiana soldiers whose lives have been lost during the war on terror.
Over the course of the three-day event, during which teams of runners took to the road for 2-mile increments, the group was helped along by supporters who gathered to cheer them on. And a couple of communities from the opening day stood out.
“The runners kept talking about Berne and Portland,” said Gillespie, noting the South Adams students who were let out of school to line U.S. 27 in Berne and the gathering at Portland’s Freedom Park to welcome the runners at the conclusion of the first day. “Those were the two communities that kept coming out of their mouths.
“The outpouring from this community, unbelievable. … I love being from Jay County.”
After finishing the first 52-mile leg Friday afternoon in Portland, the runners resumed at 7:30 a.m. Saturday along Water Street and Tyson Road to Indiana 67.
As they arrived in front of town hall in Redkey, they met with the families of Marine Pfc. Seth Krantz and Atwell. Krantz’s father, David Krantz, and Atwell’s cousin, Jaime Kurowsky, fought back tears as information about their loved ones was read and they were presented with flags.
“It was very emotional,” said Jaime Kurowsky, who was also in Indianapolis Sunday to receive an Honor and Remember flag. “I love the fact that they have this run to honor Brad and all of the heroes that we have.”
Runners continued to meet strong support through Redkey, and again in front of Delta High School along Indiana 28. A group of Delta cross country runners joined them for 12 miles, carrying the flags just as Jay County High School students had done for two miles a day earlier.
Upon arriving in Anderson at the end of day two, the group found Shaun Roberts of Schmit Chiropractic in Portland, waiting to help them stretch. Roberts had not planned to be there, but found himself sitting at home with nothing to do and decided he needed to be there in case he was needed.
The assistance was invaluable, Gillespie said, as runners had been tightening up and dropping off of the course throughout the day Saturday. He completed 38 miles, including the final 4 into Portland on the opening day, and raised about $2,000 to purchase Honor and Remember flags for Indiana families in addition to donations of water and other supplies.
Bowman, who lost both of his legs while serving in Afghanistan in 2011, cleared the 100-mile mark while participating with a hand-powered tricycle.
Gillespie referred to Bowman and the other runners as 12 new brothers, strangers before the run who have now become like family. Most important, he noted, was their mission — to honor those who have given their lives for our freedom.
“It was just very emotional,” Gillespie said. “When you come up upon one of the markers and there’s a Gold Star Family standing in front of you, you can’t help but feel their pain.
“The pain I’m feeling was the greatest experienc