6 November 2001:

My name is John Yip.

On the morning of Nov. 3rd, 2001, around 10:10 a.m., as my daughter Beth was driving her car to take me to my appointed segment of the Flag Run Across America, we crested Sedillo Hill and headed East, I saw a flashing light in the distance. My heart started pumping faster. There's the flag convoy up ahead. "Beth, can you please drop me as close to the convoy as possible, then you can go back and tell our friends that the flag is coming."

I got off about half-a-mile in front of the convoy, got all my gears together and started jogging toward the flag runners. I'm the only runner going the opposite direction and yet, the sheriff escort recognized that I am one of the runners, so he honked his horn and waved at me. That was a great feeling.

Once I arrived at the point where the flag runners were heading West, I turned around and joined them. I introduced myself and found out that a few of the five runners had started from Moriaty earlier. I introduced myself, and they just told me that this is a loose structure in that anytime I want to carry the flag or hand off to another runner, just feel free to do so. I ran for about another half-a-mile then decided to ask for the flag.

The first time I received the flag, it was such an adrenalin rush. At first, it was a struggle to keep the flag pointed in the right direction, what with the wind from the right quarter. But after awhile, you get into the rhythm and just sort of glide along.

Then just as I was getting comfortable, someone new joined the run, it was my friend Francis Chang, who came down from Denver to joined me for this epic event. Then Chowdy Tusiri, Natasha Ning and Isabelle Chang, all joined me for part of the run. I was so glad that my friends could join me and get to hold the US flag, a symbol of American unity.

As I was carrying the flag up Sedillo Hill, people were lining up on both sides of old U.S. 66,clapping, cheering, and smiling for us to keep going. The sun was out and not a cloud in the sky, what a great day to be alive and be an American. Just about when my legs were feeling the stress of going up this 7000'+ hill, a semi-truck behind us started honking its big horn to keep me going.

I felt so privileged to get to carry the U.S. flag for this momentous occasion. I did not slow down again until I crested Sedillo Hill.

Click on the Links Below to Visit Our Sponsors Registered Event Promoters