Memorial Stops Announced For Thursday's Run For The Fallen In Ocean City

Ocean City, NJ -- There will be 11 memorial stops in Ocean City when the 2016 Run for the Fallen comes through town on Thursday, Sept. 22, according to Ocean City’s American Legion Post 524.

The New Jersey Run for the Fallen is an organization of military runners who travel throughout New Jersey in memory of service members killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and New Dawn.

At the end of each mile stands a memorial marker where runners pause to salute service members’ lives and the sacrifices made by their families.

The event officially begins at the Cape May Lighthouse early Thursday morning. The Ocean City portion of this four-day, statewide event begins at Corson’s Inlet at 3:26 p.m. The final stop of the day is American Legion Post 524 at 5:30 p.m.

The American Legion Post 524 Committee, chaired by Jack Hagan, is coordinating Ocean City’s effort.

“Although they visibly run one mile to honor each fallen hero from current conflicts, participants also remember all New Jersey service members who have laid down their lives for the cause of freedom,” Hagan said. “New Jersey has given 16,408 sons and daughters since World War I.”

Following the local portion of the run, participants will continue northward on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
On Friday, the runners will travel from Somers Point to Long Beach Island.

On Saturday, they will run from Long Beach Island to Toms River.

On Sunday, the trail starts in Point Pleasant and concludes at the Vietnam Memorial in Holmdel.

The Core Run Team consists of dedicated military personnel from Joint Base McGuire, who run a 190-mile course over the four days.

Along the way, they pay tribute to their fallen comrades and Gold Star Families. Runners come from all branches of the military and gather "on their own time and on their own dime".

Ocean City area residents are invited to take part in the Hero Marker ceremonies to support the runners and to reflect on the sacrifices made by these service members and their families.

Here are locations and times of ceremonies:

• Capt. Maria I. Ortiz, Sgt. Hector L. Ortiz Jr.: Corson's Inlet Bridge at State Park sign on the Ocean Drive, 3:26
• S/Sgt. Ingles Dos Reis: 55th St & Central Ave, 3:39
• Spc. Michael Franklin: 46th St & West Ave (new Legion bldg.), 3:52
• Cpl Terry Ordonez: 37th St & Central Ave, 4:02
• L/Cpl Jon T. Hicks Jr.: 29th St & Wesley Ave, 4:15
• SSgt Aaron Nelson Brown: 21st St & Wesley Ave, 4:28
• 1st Lt. Robert Wilson Collins: 15th St & Ocean Ave, 4:38
• SSgt. Stephen J. Sutherland, 9/11 Pentagon Heroes: Veteran's Memorial Park , 5th St & Wesley Ave, 4:51
• Spc. Ronald H. Wildrick, World War II Heroes: Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6650 15th St & Bay Ave, 5:05
• Sgt. Keith T. Buzinski: Bay Ave between 24th St & 25th St., 5:18
• Sgt. Alessandro Plutino, US Marine Heroes - Beirut: American Legion Post 524 3304 Bay Ave 5:30

The attached image is an Ocean City Patch file photo