Rock Falls native honors U.S. troops killed in Iraq war
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| Rock Falls native Mike Ehredt (in yellow) and makes his way across First Avenue Bridge into Rock Falls, accompanied by local runners who joined him on this leg of his cross-country trek. Ehredt is planting one flag every mile to honor the more than 4,000 soldiers killed in the Iraq war. (Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@svnmail.com) |
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ROCK FALLS – Mike Ehredt hasn’t said much at his cross-country stops so far.
On Sunday morning, though, before a hometown crowd, he opened up and shed a little light on his mission.
Ehredt has been planting an American flag every mile of his 4,515-mile journey, to honor each serviceman and woman killed in Iraq.
Each flag has a yellow ribbon with a soldier’s name, age, hometown, rank, branch and date of death. He is placing them in reverse chronological order, by date of death, one every mile.
“Many people ask me why, or what is it that made you want to do this, and I can honestly say that it wasn’t a bolt of lightning or it wasn’t too many Forrest Gump movies.
“It had been brewing in me for probably 30 years,” he said.
Ehredt, now of Hope, Idaho, began his 6-month journey May 1 in Astoria, Ore. He has 1,426 miles left to go to reach Rockland, Maine.
Sunday, he planted a flag at Veterans’ Memorial Park in Rock Falls. He will rest with family Monday, then head east to Sublette from Veterans’ Park Tuesday morning.
Ehredt graduated from Rock Falls High School in 1979. He served in the Army as a specialist 4 heavy equipment operator in an engineering battalion in Germany.
His mission was not complete after his time in the service, he said. His inspiration to do more arose from a desire to do something unselfish for those who sacrificed their lives in the name of the country.
“Doing it with a special purpose and meaning made it that much more stronger,” he said. “And I wanted to honor those from Iraq.”
Ehredt ran from Milledgeville into Sterling and then Rock Falls Sunday, accompanied by local members of the American Legion Riders, including its director, Duane Blaufuss.
Blaufuss, of Sterling, was Navy chief petty officer; he served for 11 years.
“I think he raises awareness for all of the veterans, the ones that are serving in Afghanistan and Iraq and all the ones who have served before in other wars,” Blaufuss said.
“I think he is doing a good thing.”
Also present Sunday were Mike’s mother, Pat Lathrop of Rock Falls, and his brothers, Dan and Mark Ehredt.
Mark said his older brother’s run is “a great statement of the character that Mike has.
“If you look out there, you can achieve some things in life that no one ever thought you could,” Mark said. “I think he wants you to balance that back into some of the soldiers that have lost their lives.
“It’s a cause that is bigger than all of us.”
