Photo By Richard Goldenberg | New York Army National Guard Spc. Matthew Clark, center, carries the guidon as the...... read more read more
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GLENS FALLS, N.Y. – New York Army National Guard volunteers donned rucks and boots for a four mile road march on a snowy Christmas Eve to show their support to military personnel deployed for the holidays.
The event brought together community supporters, military families, veterans and gold star families to mark the 21st annual Christmas Eve road march in this upstate city nestled along the border of the Adirondack Park.
The first march was conducted in 2004 in support of the New York Army National Guard’s Company C, 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry while deployed to Iraq during the holidays.
Sgt. 1st Class Arthur Coon, a local Army National Guard recruiter, and his wife Julie, organized the march with Soldiers assigned to another local unit, the 466th Area Support Medical Company, to honor the deployed troops.
Ten Soldiers participated that year, and it has grown ever since, Coon said.
Leading the approximately 140 marchers this year carrying the road march guidon was New York Army National Guard Spc. Matthew Clark, his second road march event since joining the recruiting team.
Joining Clark were more than a dozen new enlisted Soldiers home for leave in between basic combat training and advanced individual training.
“It’s a great feeling coming out for this, and I hope to create regular rucking schedule for our new recruits,” Clark said. “It can prepare new Soldiers for training and for next year’s road march.”
Coon said that it is the community coming together that makes the road march endure.
“I was trying to come up with what the road march means to me, not an easy thing to define,” Coon told the marchers before the start.
“So, while watching a nature show one day, I was interested in how penguins survive harsh conditions of the Antarctic. They survive by standing together to confront the storms and weather,” he explained, “and to make sure that no one penguin gets all the cold, nor all the warmth.”
“That’s how I feel about all of you. We have never stood alone here. The community has long been a source of strength for us. From the National Guard to the Sheriff’s Department, the mayor, the VFW, there have been so many people who have kept us warm.”
Glens Falls mayor, Bill Collins, thanked all the participants for their commitment to show their support to those in uniform, including his own son, a New York Army National Guard Soldier.
After recognizing those with the heaviest ruck sack, those with the largest group marching and those who traveled the farthest to attend, Coon also recognized the fundraising efforts to send care packages to deployed troops and pay for the postage of shipping.
Coon received a $2,000 donation before the road march from Hope Rosati-Frettoloso, who has raised over $17,554 over the past 10 years through “pennies for postage” collections.
| Date Taken: | 12.24.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.26.2024 11:03 |
| Story ID: | 488316 |
| Location: | GLENS FALLS, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 378 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, NY National Guard Soldiers step off for Christmas Eve Road March, by Richard Goldenberg, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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