Funds raised by Veterans Day Run go to nonprofits serving military vets
By Marty Cheek
For 30 years, Eddie Bowers has been organizing the Veterans Day commemoration held in down-town Morgan Hill. It’s important for him to give residents a way to honor those who served in the armed forces every Nov. 11.
Bowers joined the U.S. Army at 19 and fought as a helicopter gunner in Vietnam. He recalled how when the idea came to him to create the memorial located in the median on First Street and Monterey Road, which also serves as a gathering spot for Memorial Day commemorations.
“When I came back from Vietnam, I’d go to the cemetery, but it just didn’t feel right,” the 73-year-old veteran said. “What I was going to do was take a small piece of brass and put the Vietnam (deceased servicemen’s) names on it. And I was going to stick it in the middle of the street.”
Bowers kept mentioning his idea to people, telling them “We should do something about this.” But no one paid attention to him and years and years went by. Pretty soon, he said to himself, “This is it, man. We’ve got to do this.”
With grit and determination, he and other volunteers used round river stones to build a simple monument at what was designed Veterans Memorial Square. A bronze plaque was installed inscribed with the names of local men who died in various conflicts including both world wars, Korea, Vietnam, and Desert Shield/Desert Storm. The plaque reads:
“In honor of the men and women who fought, gave their lives and remain missing in the defense of the United States of America and the ideals for which it stands. May we never forget that freedom isn’t free.”
At this year’s Veterans Day event, the flag raised will be that of Army veteran Gene Lowery. Karen Crane will lead children and the crowd in singing patriotic songs. Pastor Frank Riley will say a prayer and read the honor roll of names. Wreaths will be laid by veterans Bob Hammond and Von Kenner. And Steve Johnson will close out the ceremony playing “Taps.”
What drives Bowers to honor the veterans? “It’s the American pride. I understand the sacrifices made for freedom. I spent 26 months in Vietnam. Two years. I got there May 1, 1968 and left June 1, 1970.”
Morgan Hill architect Charles Weston is another Vietnam vet who knows what military veterans face in their service to America. He sees the needs these men and women face after returning to civilian life. To help fund programs that help the veterans, he started the Morgan Hill Veterans Run eight years ago. This year’s run will be the sixth one. The 2019 event was cancelled because of heavy smoke from the wildfires that November and the 2020 run did not take place because of COVID-19.
This year’s 5K/10K Walk/Run will start at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 14, in the middle of East First Street in downtown Morgan Hill. Nonprofit organizations that will receive funding from the event as partners include Morgan Hill Freedom Fest, South Bay Blue Star Moms, Project Hired, DreamPower Horsemanship, Operation Freedom Paws, and 22 Too Many.
Photo courtesy Morgan Hill Veterans Run
Runners participate in a previous Veterans Day Run through Morgan Hill.
“These organizations have a hard time marketing themselves,” Weston said. “They have a hard time getting people to understand what they’re trying to accomplish.”
Drafted into the Army as a young man, Weston saw how hard it was for his mother to deal with the stress of knowing he was facing the dangers of combat in Vietnam. That stress still hits families who have someone in the armed forces. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, there are around 19 million U.S. veterans. This represents less than 10 percent of the total U.S. adult population.
Fewer than one percent of Americans now serve in the military. This number compares with about nine percent during World War II. Research has found this difference creates a divide between veterans and non-veterans.
“If you’re a veteran or your spouse is a veteran or you have children who are veterans, I think you understand what the process is to commit to three, four, five, ten years,” Weston said. “It’s hard for other people to understand that.”
Weston started the Veterans Day Run to give back to the men and women who have served and help them with their psychological and physical needs.
“I am a disabled veteran, too. I have a dog who is my service dog and I don’t go anywhere without my dog and it helps quite a bit,” he said. “And Operation Freedom Paws helps veterans with emotional needs via their pet . . . Blue Star Moms are really an interesting group, too. They’re essentially moms who have children in the service. And that really hits home for me because it was really difficult for my mom when I went to Vietnam.”
Another run partner is 22 Too Many, a group of runners dedicating their run to military members lost to suicide at an alarming and tragic rate of 22 per day. Its mission is to raise awareness of post-traumatic stress and share helpful resources available, serve as a living memorial to the 22 Too Many heroes — carrying their pictures and sharing their stories and provide comfort, encouragement, and support to the grieving loved ones left behind.
Based in the South Valley, DreamPower Horses for Warriors provides equine-facilitated psychotherapy and support services to U.S. military veterans and their families. Horses for Warriors offers weekly groups for Pre-9/11 veterans, Post-9/11 veterans, women veterans and a bi-weekly Combat Vet Family Support Group. DreamPower staff also offer individual psychotherapy for the treatment of trauma and moral injury, as well as couple and family therapy.
Project Hired guides veteran job seekers with disabilities to find and sustain meaningful employment through an array of services designed to promote self-sufficiency and independence, remove barriers, create opportunities, and help participants build successful careers.
All proceeds from the race will go to the various partner organizations.
“Run with these honorable men and women during the race and express your appreciation for their service as you finish the course with them,” Weston said. “We encourage participants to take a moment and say, ‘Thank you for what you’ve done!’ Small gestures mean a lot to those who have sacrificed so much.”
