American freedoms, international friendships

They came.

They came for the fourth annual ROA-U.S. FreedomWalk Festival[R]. They came from seven countries, including Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Norway, and France. They came from 17 states, as far away as California, Washington, Arizona, and Texas. They came to the Number One Walking City in the U.S. for 2005, Arlington, Va., over the weekend of Oct. 21-23, 2005, to walk together in fun and fitness while learning about American freedoms and international friendships.

For the third year in a row, Deputy Surgeon General of the United States, RADM Kenneth Moritsugu, USPHS, led the festivities as the grand marshal. The 2005 event was co-hosted by the Reserve Officers Association of the United States with the Office of the Surgeon General, Civil Air Patrol (CAP), Arlington County, and the British Embassy.

This year, Arlington County, the nation's smallest county of just 26 square miles, was declared the new home of the annual event. Appropriately, the city (county) bad been named the #1 city on the list of Top Ten Walking Cities in the United States for 2005 by the American Podiatric Society. On October 18, at a session of the county council, the highest elected official, Mr. Jay Fisette, council chairman, read a proclamation declaring ROA-U.S. FreedomWalk Festival[R] Days in the county for the weekend. Friday afternoon's "Arlington Welcome Walk" took walkers on a 10-kilometer tour of the parks and trails that made the city the best in the country.

A rainy Saturday morning saw more than two dozen long-distance walkers from around the United States and England off on the third annual 44-kilometer ultra-marathon trail. This year's trail first made a 26-kilometer circuit of the county on beautiful park trails before joining the 21-, 12-, and 7-kilometer trails as they crossed Memorial Bridge at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery and proceeded into the nation's capital. There, all walkers passed parks, museums, monuments, memorials, and government buildings based on the length of trail they selected. ROA Chapter 1 hosted walkers at the ROA Minuteman Memorial Building. The Reserve Enlisted Association, National Sojourners/Heroes of '76, and the CAP hosted other checkpoints.

While the long-distance walkers were on the trail, many of the youth groups and international walkers celebrated the weekend at an opening ceremony Saturday morning with many significant dignitaries from the local and walking community. ROA President, MG Robert Smith III, USAR (Ret.); Mr. Fisette from Arlington County; and Admiral Moritsugu spoke words of welcome and encouragement for the walking and friendships that all would soon share. Other dignitaries included senior officers from Girl Scouts of the USA, New York headquarters, present to cheer on the hundreds of Girl Scouts who attended during the weekend. Representatives from the walking community included Ms. Lynn Clark, English-speaking vice president of the International Federation of Popular Sports, Ms. Shirley Lindberg, American Volkssport Association president, and two representatives from the International Marching League (IML) Walking Association who were present to judge the U.S. FreedomWalk Festival[R] for membership in that organization. The representatives were Mr. Shinshiro Ebashi, honorary president of the Japanese Walking Association, and Mr. Burt Paynter, from the Discovery Walks in Vancouver, Wash.

This year, more than 50 members of the Old Bridge High School AFJROTC unit from Old Bridge, N.J., served as the Honor Unit to celebrate American freedoms. The school members served as color guard, singers of the national anthem, and wreath layers. This year, two cadets joined TV journalist Jay Korff, from ABC Channel 7 (WJLA) in laying a wreath at the Freedom Forum's International Journalists' Memorial. Two cadets also joined a member of the British Police from the Sussex Walking Club in laying a wreath at the National Law Enforcement Memorial. Three cadets also laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. The JROTC team also included members from Rutgers University's ROTC cadet corps.

International friendship prevailed throughout the weekend. At the opening ceremony, Major Dr. Marc Lemmermann of the Verband der Reservisten der Deutsches Bundeswehr, e.V., (German Reserve Association) presented General Smith with a German beer stein with the organization's logo. Four uniformed members of the British Police (Bobbies) walked with members of the Arlington County Sheriff's Department and presented wreaths at the Arlington County Police Memorial and at the National Law Enforcement memorial.

As a celebration of international friendship, Sunday's trails took walkers through Georgetown, into Rock Creek Park, and to the British Embassy, allowing walkers to claim that they "walked from the U.S. to the U.K. and back in one day." There were trails of 6, 12, 21, and 32 kilometers. According to one participant, the only thing missing from this walk was a "cuppa (tea)." Located next to the home of the vice president of the United States, the embassy route even allowed participants to see a presidential motorcade pass and to receive waves from the president himself. The checkpoint in the British Embassy was staffed by students and parents at the Center for International Studies and Languages at CD Hylton High School in Virginia. Rock Creek Park checkpoints were staffed by CAP.

Over the weekend, there were more than 900 participants. Everyone walked for the Surgeon General's FreedomWalk Medal and certificate. When walkers completed at least 20 kilometers a day, they received a bronze achievement device for the medal. Groups of eight or more received silver achievement devices. Hardy souls who walked 44 kilometers on Saturday, followed by 32 kilometers on Sunday, received the gold achievement device--the FreedomWalk's highest honor. For the first time, foreign citizens earned the gold achievements. They were Peter Gardner, Hans Rennie, and Michael Abbott, all of the United Kingdom.

The fifth annual event in October 2006 promises to be even better, with the potential to bring more walkers from all over the world. Walkers who have attended the event all five years will receive the new Silver Surgeon General's FreedomWalk Medal.

ROA can be proud of its role in hosting this annual event. Walkers came from all over the world to join in the spirit of fun, friendship, freedom, and international fellowship.

They will come back.

Details of the 2006 FreedomWalk Festival* are available at the Web site: www.usfreedomwalk.org.

COL TIM MINER, USAFR

COPYRIGHT 2005 Reserve Officers Association of the United States
COPYRIGHT 2006 Gale Group