It was afternoon on Thursday and I had been leapfroging with van since 5:30 A.M helping the state coordinator line up runners and media/stops at elementry schools along the route when I found myself at the Ruston Louisiana Fire Department. I was at it again, getting some participation lined up and informing the guys at the firehouse what was up. All day had been emotional, the kids with their enthusiasm at all the schools we passed chanting U.S.A. U.S.A. , the cars that honked while we backed up traffic as far as you could see, and the simple looks on people's faces that came out of country homes, small businesses and Wal-Mart parking lots.

Now I was at the fire station, hoping the fireman would weigh in and make some noise with the sirens when the van would pass by. I told the fireman that kept appearing out of the fire statopm that this was a grass root effort to do something, to say something and that I couldn't exactly tell them why it was happening but the runnners and the van were just down the road and could they help and join in. It was then that it had the biggest impact on me. I realized that these guys were the real honest to goodness heroes in this country. These men put themselves on the line.They do it for us and they always have. These are the men that I want my son to look up to. These are the same breed of men that went in those towers to save their fellow man. These are the same. These are the bedrock of this country and made me feel so strong to be in their company. I want them to know that their quiet strength, resolve and good nature is so refreshing.

These are the guys I want to be around, not the rock stars, fat cats, or media darlings.

As the van approached, all the fireman had that look of knowing that we as a country have many more battles to fight to perserve the ideals that this country was founded on and that they would do their part.

Some of them got in the truck and lite up the siren for the runners going through town, most just went back to work. Some of them wanted to run with the greyhounds passing in front of us, some didn't but all shared a moment of reflection of the events of the past month, the scrafices made and the resolve of the work to do in the future. It all happened one beautiful fall day in October. We all felt so lucky to be alive and I felt so lucky to be apart of this great country full of real people.

Bill Robinson
Ruston LA