South Carolina Legacy Run 'a family cause'

Legionnaire Marc Carroll has participated in all five Department of South Carolina Legacy Runs. He’s made the past four rides a family affair.

In the previous three years, Carroll’s daughter Ayla rode on the back of his motorcycle during the ride. This year, Brandon Carroll – Marc’s 16-year-old autistic son – rode on the back of his dad’s motorcycle for 375 of the ride’s 700-plus miles to help raise money for The American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund.

Both are members of the Richland County Post 6 Legion family in Columbia, S.C. Marc is the post’s first vice commander and assistant director of the Riders chapter; Brandon is a member of the Sons of The American Legion.

“It’s just become a family cause: always taking care of veterans,” said Marc, who served in the Air Force and the Army from 1993-2009. “We’re also members of the Patriot Guard Riders. It’s just another way to continue to serve.”

This year, Marc said, ‘We just wanted (Brandon) to have the experience. He’s very much involved in everything we do. He’s done flag lines for veterans. He’s very involved. He very much loves the military. And he enjoys riding the motorcycle.”

Brandon said taking part in this year’s ride “was great” because “I got to spend time with my dad.”

It was important for Marc, too. “Brandon’s never going to be able to serve in the military,” he said. “(It) was just some small thing he was able to do to show he’s appreciative of the military. My family’s all been in the military and/or retired from the military. I wanted (Brandon) to experience something that was beneficial – especially with children of fallen servicemembers.”

Marc said he’ll take his youngest son, 8-year-old Jayden, on next year’s state run. Brandon was the youngest participant in this year’s South Carolina Legacy Run. It’s oldest, World War II and Korean War veteran Bernie Shankman, also is a member of Post 6. The 92-year-old completed the entire ride on a trike.

“We made it the whole way together,” Marc said of Shankman. “He absolutely loved it.”