thedrifter
11-15-07, 06:20 AM
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Marines mark Corps’ birthday with 232-mile run from Philly
Lance Cpl. Skyler Tooker
Combat Correspondent
PHILADELPHIA – Quantico’s Weapons Training Battalion paid homage to U.S. Marines’ 232 years of service to country by running for three straight days, covering as many miles as the Corps is old, starting here Nov. 5 at the Marine Corps’ famous birthplace miles and ending at Quantico.
The 232-mile run kicked off with leathernecks in formation, starting at the same place Tun Tavern stood two centuries ago. After the first mile, Col. Michael Mulligan, commanding officer of Weapons, took the guidon and started his 30-minute leg before passing the guidon down the ranks.
Each running team consisted of one person from each rank from colonel to corporal with additional Marines to include a British Royal Marine. All participants were there voluntarily. The Marine Corps Marathon staff provided use of their large recreational vehicle for the runners to ride in, sleep in and eat in during the course of the three-day run.
Mulligan passed the idea of the ‘‘Tun Run” to Master Sgt. Judd Baker. Mulligan was the only runner this year who has previously run from Tun Tavern to Quantico. In July, Baker teamed up with the Marine Corps Marathon office to ensure the run would take place just before the Corps’ birthday weekend. In addition to the marathon office, Baker enlisted the help of Philadelphia native Capt. Michael Liguori to work the logistical issues in the ‘‘City of Brotherly Love.”
The run stepped off at the location where Tun Tavern originally stood. After departing Philly, each runner took turns running a mile to get to their first stop, a Harley Davison Dealer. At the dealership, the Marines received drinks, energy bars and a free T-shirt.
Running nonstop all through the night until 8 a.m. the next day, they stopped at the Chesapeake Physical Therapy to eat breakfast which was provided by Mulligan’s sister, Katy Weddell, as well as Greg Weddell, Brian Walters and Jennifer Walters. Soon after, the Marines raised the flag at the Radcliffe Creek School in Chestertown, Md., next door to the physical therapy building. As the Marines ran through Chesapeake, they were escorted by the police.
The next stop was the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. After arriving at the academy at around 4 p.m., the Marines met up with retired Col. John Ripley, a Navy Cross recipient from Vietnam, and fueled up with food and water for the final stretch back to Quantico.
For the home stretch, each runner only had to run a couple of 30 minute legs before finally arriving at the front gate, where they ran across mainside all the way to the gate leading to Weapons Training Battalion.
The Marines then jumped into the RV and rode back to the battalion, arriving at 4 a.m. and rested for a couple hours. Several Marines from Weapons Bn. formed up and gathered at the gate where the Tun Run team left off and joined the Tun Run team for the last stretch to the battalion to finish up the 232-mile run in honor of the 232nd Marine Corps Birthday.
Later that day, the battalion held their cake cutting ceremony and Marine Corps Birthday lunch.
Weapons Training Battalion personnel formed up and watched the cake, which was escorted by the commanding officer on the hood of an old military jeep.
The birthday lunch was served to the Marines by the senior leadership.
Ellie
Marines mark Corps’ birthday with 232-mile run from Philly
Lance Cpl. Skyler Tooker
Combat Correspondent
PHILADELPHIA – Quantico’s Weapons Training Battalion paid homage to U.S. Marines’ 232 years of service to country by running for three straight days, covering as many miles as the Corps is old, starting here Nov. 5 at the Marine Corps’ famous birthplace miles and ending at Quantico.
The 232-mile run kicked off with leathernecks in formation, starting at the same place Tun Tavern stood two centuries ago. After the first mile, Col. Michael Mulligan, commanding officer of Weapons, took the guidon and started his 30-minute leg before passing the guidon down the ranks.
Each running team consisted of one person from each rank from colonel to corporal with additional Marines to include a British Royal Marine. All participants were there voluntarily. The Marine Corps Marathon staff provided use of their large recreational vehicle for the runners to ride in, sleep in and eat in during the course of the three-day run.
Mulligan passed the idea of the ‘‘Tun Run” to Master Sgt. Judd Baker. Mulligan was the only runner this year who has previously run from Tun Tavern to Quantico. In July, Baker teamed up with the Marine Corps Marathon office to ensure the run would take place just before the Corps’ birthday weekend. In addition to the marathon office, Baker enlisted the help of Philadelphia native Capt. Michael Liguori to work the logistical issues in the ‘‘City of Brotherly Love.”
The run stepped off at the location where Tun Tavern originally stood. After departing Philly, each runner took turns running a mile to get to their first stop, a Harley Davison Dealer. At the dealership, the Marines received drinks, energy bars and a free T-shirt.
Running nonstop all through the night until 8 a.m. the next day, they stopped at the Chesapeake Physical Therapy to eat breakfast which was provided by Mulligan’s sister, Katy Weddell, as well as Greg Weddell, Brian Walters and Jennifer Walters. Soon after, the Marines raised the flag at the Radcliffe Creek School in Chestertown, Md., next door to the physical therapy building. As the Marines ran through Chesapeake, they were escorted by the police.
The next stop was the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. After arriving at the academy at around 4 p.m., the Marines met up with retired Col. John Ripley, a Navy Cross recipient from Vietnam, and fueled up with food and water for the final stretch back to Quantico.
For the home stretch, each runner only had to run a couple of 30 minute legs before finally arriving at the front gate, where they ran across mainside all the way to the gate leading to Weapons Training Battalion.
The Marines then jumped into the RV and rode back to the battalion, arriving at 4 a.m. and rested for a couple hours. Several Marines from Weapons Bn. formed up and gathered at the gate where the Tun Run team left off and joined the Tun Run team for the last stretch to the battalion to finish up the 232-mile run in honor of the 232nd Marine Corps Birthday.
Later that day, the battalion held their cake cutting ceremony and Marine Corps Birthday lunch.
Weapons Training Battalion personnel formed up and watched the cake, which was escorted by the commanding officer on the hood of an old military jeep.
The birthday lunch was served to the Marines by the senior leadership.
Ellie