Hello Arizona!!!!

I'm Ken White the Arizona state coordinator and an American Airlines pilot but more importantly a more appreciative American. I'm sure that each of my coordinators are extremely tired but would agree that this endeavor gave 100 times back what we put into it. I've seen so many acts of kindness and American resolve in moving this flag across Arizona that it made my final sendoff of the flag to California very difficult. In running a long stretch of road with an army group from Fort Huachuca between Globe and Superior I noticed one important thing that the entire group made sure of will we ran with the U.S. flag and their squadron flag. This one thing I asked of California as they ran with the U.S. flag along with the 50 state flags into LA, and that was to keep it higher than all the others. God Bless America!!!!

I would like to attempt to recognize some valuable people that I came in contact with these past 4 days. I apologize in advance for some that I will have missed and this in no way is a complete list of key people along our route.

First, lets not forget about the National team that has been with this event from the very beginning and thank them for their many weeks of dedicated hard work:

Frank LaCorte, Mike Burr, and Gary Rivenson.

Arizona started out with only one runner and his loyal sister by his side ..
0600 Tuesday the 6th at AZ-N.M. border. His name is Steve Ochoa and I encourage all to read his diary... He came up from Clifton the night before. Steve also ran in Phoenix near the Capitol....

Next the SORT team lead by Marvin Rios met the flag in Springerville and along with a couple of Marines led the Flag out toward Show Low...Have to mention that Roger from the SORT team (Federal Prison Guards from safford) ran again after Superior and knows where to buy the best Burritos.

Then between Springerville and Show Low our first of many woman runners showed up with her husband. Her name was Patty Thomas and she also ran the far west of Arizona right to the border at Parker...sad to say the only real injured runner along the route...she took a nasty spill off the RV when we were approaching Parker and hurt her left leg..She is tough and will survive to run again.

In Show Low many school children where out at the road to say hello and this was the case all across the country. A Girl Scout Troop #2358 ran with Mary Attenbury and a group of tri-athletes from Show Low to Carrizo. The driver of the RV at this time was named Smokey an American Airlines pilot that flew in from Miami Florida to help out. His brothers' and him had the opportunity to take the flag by their fathers grave in Miami, AZ and also run it past their mother's home in Sun City...his brother cooked burritos and coffee for us along all the way thru the Salt River Canyon....true Americans!!!!

Don't miss this diary by Martin Gerhard, a United Airlines pilot that made a short notice effort to accompany the flag run in an area of Arizona known for its tough terrain...The dreaded Salt River Canyon!!!! His diary says it all, of how the National Guard was brought in to escort (thanks Jack Ogle) with two hummers and how the Reservation Indian tribe joined us in a run towards the Canyon from Carrizo.

Martin started what was suppose to be the down hill section of the Canyon..NOT..then Mike Flinn, a marathoner from Phoenix was going to put in an hour or so of running...Teresa (AZ coordinator) and her husband ran several times and supported the effort with a vehicle to shuttle runners...

At the bottom of the canyon we meet a young man from the San Carlos Indian Reservation named Elvis. This runner gave it all!!!! I will testify to his 27 miles up the other side of the Canyon...His family in trail all the way to cheer him on...

Getting into Globe we were meet by some fireman from Globe and a Police Officer named Dave Wander. They kept a blistering pace to arrive 3 miles from Globe 1 hour and a half early...Smokey and I and a few of the people he knew in town serviced up the RV and we entered Globe on time....

Ellen (Angie and Teresa's contact in Globe) had the entire town sitting on edge....I estimated over 800 school kids on a overpass and all the Fireman and Police it could muster. Steve Case, our Media coordinator did an outstanding job in Globe and after a short ceremony at the old court house we left to go thru Miami and onto Superior with an Army troop from Fort Huachuca.

This Army group had a lot of hills and a very difficult road with no shoulders to run on. I had the opportunity to run with them 5 abreast and 8 deep into a tunnel out side of Supurior where we stunned the on coming traffic with cadence of USA USA!!!!!!!!! I was also joined by Dave and Brian of United Airlines--very strong runners..must have put on 13 or 14 miles..Also thanks goes to Nelson And Tom who provided support with a vehicle and running...These gentleman where American Airlines Pilots and were put together by our driving coordinator Bob Mangam...Grey Eagles of American Airlines head member..

Getting to Superior I was exhausted and ready to drop when a powder keg of an individual introduced herself to me... her name was Heather Buxton. Heather and her puppy Mulligan picked up the rains and drove the numerous runners on to Apache jct. I was dead from going from the border the past day and had to leave this young American Airlines pilot to lead a lone crusade across the heart of Arizona...If you met her you know that she has a light that shines bright for her nation and the flag..God Bless her...

When I picked back up on the trip 6 hours later I had met with the National team at the Capitol and found that the turn out had been small there but OK media coverage was present...back to the RV where I caught up on the events of the night. Missed saying hello to the head east coordinator Angela Langer..Great job by her in the east and thanks to all the runners that participated out there.

We had the west plugged thanks to Kathy Connolly and her husband Sgt. Sean Connolly....along with her friend Anne Wilke, it was like a well oiled machine at times. We went to service the RV about the time we were nearing Luke AFB and got lost though looking for a White Tank Mountain RV community service place...No luck dumping the lav, then we could not find the runners, they were lead by the police escort off course and things started to fall apart a bit until Luke AFB finest Debra Undhjem showed up ...This Lady had a command of her area like Schwartzkoff in Desert storm... Must have been over 200 kids that sang and pledged allegience.

We got to Wickenburg on time and Kathy and I gave the RV over to the cable hands of her assistant Anne Wilke. Anne and her friend Lynn along with Mike Stasio lead the RV into the night not sure what day break would bring...When I joined back up with the RV the next morning all I heard was the laughter from the night past and all the strange and funny events that had transpired...Anne ran the show all the way to Parker and I felt like I could relax and talk to the runners and find out where they were on the 11th of September and how it has affected them..

This was a dream come true for me and the American resolve to make the effort across this great state was nothing short of miraculous.

Thank you Arizonians and supporters of her that came out to show their patriotism toward this nation..

GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!!!!!

Ken White

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