Perry County heroes among those honored at 'Run For The Fallen'
The first time Marla and Dan Uhles heard about the Run For The Fallen was the year it began - 2009, five years after their son, Marine Lance Cpl. Drew Uhles was killed in Iraq.
But they had a prior commitment for that Saturday in August, and the Du Quoin couple couldn't attend. Marla and Dan were curious, however, if anyone who came would run or walk in honor of their son.
That's the way Run For The Fallen works. You can run or walk on behalf of a specific Illinois service man or women who died in the War or Terror, or you get a card with the name, photo and information about a fallen soldier, and you walk or run on his or her behalf.
Carolyn Cloyd has been involved with Run For The Fallen since it began in 2009 in Charleston, Illinois. She talked to the Uhles and thought, "Well, I can do that," and put herself down to run for Drew. On race day, she completed her mile, then took a photo of herself with Drew Uhles's card and sent it to the family.
The Uhles family has come to Run For The Fallen every year since. It's Marla and Dan, and sometimes it's their daughter Melissa and her kids; other times it's their son and his kids.
Among those remembered and honored will be Perry County service members Marine Lance Cpl. Drew M. Uhles of Du Quoin; Army Pfc. Tyler R. Iubelt of Tamaroa; and Army Sgt. Holli Bolinski, Army Pfc. Wyatt D. Eisenhauer and Specialist William D. Templeton, all of Pinckneyville.
Uhles was killed in Iraq on Sept. 15, 2004; Iubelt died on Nov. 12, 2016 at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan; Bolinski was killed March 7, 2019 in Kuwait; Eisenhauer died May 19, 2005 in Iraq and Templeton died March 7, 2011 as a result of injuries sustained in Iraq.
The 2021 Run For The Fallen will be held from 7 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Aug. 21 at the track at Charleston High School. It's free to enter. Walkers/runners who register in advance can tell organizers who they are walking for, or ask to be assigned a hero they don't know.
"It's been a powerful thing for people to hold that card and see that face, especially people who don't know who they are walking for," Cloyd said Monday. Register at www.charlestonillinois.org, and click on "Run for the Fallen."
Marla Uhles said her family finds it an honor to walk for all of the men and women who lost their lives in the War on Terror. They typically go to Charleston the Friday before and have dinner with Carolyn, and then get to the track early on Saturday to watch teams of football players, volleyball players and EIU summer students kids walk miles on behalf of servicemen and women.
"We each have our own (memories) but everyone who is there remembers all of them," Marla Uhles said. People the Uhles don't know freely come up and introduce themselves at the event.
She said the event is not painful, exactly.
"It's good to know that people remember, and the sacrifices that they (the fallen) have made." Marla said. She is confident that the casualties from the War on Terror will not be forgotten.
"There are still enough people who realize what this country is built on," she said.
For those unable to travel to Charleston, a virtual component is offered at www.illinoisrunforthefallen.com.
Preregistration is preferred, although participants can sign up the day of. Register at www.charlestonillinois.org; click on "Run for the Fallen."
For more information, contact Carolyn Cloyd at (217) 235-4984.
Last year, during the worst of the pandemic, the event had to be virtual. People were invited to run, walk or bicycle on their own and report in. Cloyd said it was extremely successful, as 635 miles were logged.
Cloyd said it is an honor to know the Uhles family.
The first Run For The Fallen was held in 2008, organized by Jon Bellona of Pennsylvania, a close friend of Michael Cleary, who died when his vehicle in Iraq hit an IUD. In Bellona's grief he put together that first foot race of 4,700 miles, from Irwin, California to Arlington National Cemetery.
After that first race, Bellona realized he couldn't do that every year, so he asked people in all 50 states to organize Run For The Fallen tribune. In Illinois, that was Vivian Bales of Charleston, whose first event was 2009.