Master Sergeant Jovana Meyer, who is from Belton, is part of the 4-227 Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division.

Recently, MSG Meyer was the coordinator of the enormous and successful Fallen Soldier Half Marathon event that was organized at Camp Taji, Iraq to reflect upon, remember, and honor all those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

Upwards of 400 runners took place in The Fallen Soldier Half-Marathon on Feb. 27, 2010 completing a course of 13.1 miles, just over half of what is typically run in a marathon.

The course was run by Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, Sailors, and Department of Defense civilians alike, all participating in an enormous effort to bring the initial idea of MSG Meyer to fruition and honor those brothers and sisters in arms who have fallen in the line of duty.

CPT Brent Lindley of the 155th Brigade Combat Team Garrison Command spoke of the event through electronic correspondence with the Belton Journal.

“Planning for this awesome event began in December 2009 when I had emailed Meyer and 1st Lt. Brian Mitchell (96th Sustainment Brigade) to see if they were interested in helping coordinate a half-marathon at Camp Taji.  In the same email to Meyer and Mitchell, I asked for suggestions on what to call the half-marathon.  Several ideas were submitted, but Meyer’s idea of a half-marathon to pay homage to those that had given their lives for freedom was an awesome idea.  No vote was necessary.”

CPT Lindley qualified MSG Meyer’s work in organizing the half marathon as instrumental to its success.

“As the race day drew closer, Meyer coordinated the efforts of over one hundred thirty-five volunteers that would provide medical support, water points along the route and road guards to help secure the route for nearly four hundred runners,” said CPT Lindley.

“This run was made great by the passion, enthusiasm and coordinating skills of MSG Meyer.”

MSG Meyer related her experience in planning the marathon and the amount of dedication that was required to make it happen, noting that she and CPT Lindley  “worked tirelessly to make it a world first class Fallen Soldier Half Marathon race with the help of 1st Lt. Brian Mitchell and Sergeant Roy Freeman.”

“As we planned for the Fallen Soldier Half Marathon, our energy to execute this run was immeasurable.  My vision was to unite as One- Army, Marine, Air Force, Navy, and civilian contractors who have served in the war- and we did,” said MSG Meyer.

“I wanted to give the Soldiers, Marines, Airmen, Seamen, civilians an opportunity to embark 13.1 miles of pride and dedicate every step, every drip of sweat and heartache to our Fallen Heroes; I wanted to remind everyone our Fallen Heroes have not died in vain, and we have not nor will we ever forget our sacred Brothers and Sisters.”

There were, in fact, a great many things to be coordinated in making an event of this magnitude come to fruition, and seemingly no detail was left unexplored. A flyer was designed for the event, the design from the flyer was printed on t-shirts, and medallions were made to award to marathon participants. Gracious companies like Ain Azmer and Under Armor played roles in having the supplies for the race available on event day. There was also coordination involved in spreading the word about the Fallen Solder Half Marathon. A special effort was made to keep friends and relatives abreast of the ongoing activities and the event itself as it unfolded. A Facebook page was set up, and on race day, many of the entries that had compiled were read aloud by an emcee at the finish line.

The race itself saw a unique and unavoidable hurdle on the day it was to be run. It would seem that inclement weather conditions that have been plaguing the Belton area are not unique at this time. Indeed, as reported by CPT Lindley, weather on Feb. 26 at Camp Taji, just one day before the marathon was to take place, was disastrous. Because of heavy rains on that day, the 13.1 mile marathon route, along roads made of compacted clay, was completely covered with slick mud. Runners quite literally became caked and covered as they ran on despite the adverse roadway conditions.

After only seventy-five minutes, Senior Airman Matthew Klundt of Det. 3, 732nd Air Force Squadron, finished the marathon in 1st place, setting a new personal record as well as bringing Old Glory across the finishing line.

Other runners came through over the course of the next minutes, all half covered with mud and grime, and all of them awarded a medallion as they completed the challenging track.

The race itself was opened with a special ceremony.  As related through correspondence with CPT Lindley, after opening comments, all volunteers and racers stood and rendered military courtesy to the United States flag. This was followed by a “Fallen Solider” remembrance given by Chaplain (CPT) Pete Stone and the playing of “Taps” by a military bugler. A keynote address was given by Brig. Gen. Kevin Magnum, who reflected on a previous deployment and honored two Army Rangers who had given the ultimate sacrifice for freedom while Magnum was flying a combat mission.

The event was also given national coverage in a broadcast during the Olympics. Peter Graves, a sportscaster known for his work with Olympic broadcasts, delivered a message of “Godspeed” to the marathon runners at Fort Taji during commentary on Feb. 27.

After the run, an awards ceremony was held, and winners from each age category were presented a certificate from Brigadier General Magnum and MSG Meyer.

MSG Meyer, who was vital in orchestrating the entire event, won 1st place in her age category of 28 to 37 years, finishing the grueling run in just under 100 minutes.

Willa Meyer, MSG Meyer’s mother-in-law and resident of Belton, related to Journal staff that Jovana is no stranger to running.

“She has run in Dallas, Armstrong, and several other places,” said Willa Meyer.

“When she was in Iraq in 2005, she ran in a marathon. She is a marathon runner.”

More Photos: