Legacy Run Day 2: A rebirth and the reason for the ride

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American Legion Social Media Manager Steve B. Brooks is following along or getting out ahead of the Legacy Run in what has to be a 70-foot long, 32-passenger Ford Transit, with visual journalists Lucas Carter and Clay Lomneth, to cover the 2016 Legacy Run.

8:30 a.m. – More than 300 motorcycles leave Valor Hall Conference and Event Center in Oak Grove, Ky.

9:52 a.m. – We drive over what Clay and I think is a lake. Lucas says it’s a river and points to the fact the bridge is higher than a normal lake bridge – allowing for transport boats to travel down the river. It is, in fact, the Tennessee River. Lucas obviously has the advantage when it comes to knowing the difference between a lake and a river.

10:40 a.m. – All along the route, cars and trucks heading in the opposite direction are pulling off onto the side of the road – to either watch the Legacy Run or, perhaps, out of respect for what the ride means.

10:45 a.m. – Almost every person on a lawnmower we pass stops to either salute or clap for the ride. “People on lawnmowers are the most patriotic people in the world,” Clay observes.

Noon – Joe Darnell, a member of Post 325 in Danville, Va., is routing motorcycles and cars to the right pumps during a gas stop in Jackson, Tenn. “The biggest contingency is directing the traffic,” he says. “We can’t stop the public flow into their business. We give them priority when we can. We keep everything moving smoothly.”

12:29 p.m. – At the Run’s next stop, Post 90 in Jackson, Post Commander Roy Brannon is preparing to serve lunch to more than 300 visitors. But the preparation actually started two weeks ago. “You can’t ask for better working people,” Brannon said of the post’s and Auxiliary unit’s volunteers. “They all work together. I’m very fortunate to have these guys and women at this post.” Brannon said those on the Legacy Run are “brothers. They’re doing a good deed.”

1:42 p.m. – More than $3,900 is donated to the Legacy Fund at Post 90, including $3,000 from Post 298 in Marion, Iowa. After the donations are made, American Legion National Commander Dale Barnett tells the Riders, “I wonder how many people have a different view of The American Legion because of what you’re doing.”

2:25 p.m. – Someone has placed a flag on the entryway to Mulberry Avenue in Corinth, Miss.

2:29 p.m. – I see a sign for custom-made turkey calls.

2:35 p.m. – I want a milkshake. Clay and Lucas don’t fight it. We go to Arby’s but, as we pull away, see a billboard for Jack’s hand-dipped milkshakes. Five minutes later I hand the guy in the drive-thru window at Jack’s my jamocha shake in exchange for a Rocky Mountain Fudge hand-dipped shake. Clay, on the other hand, drinks his Arby’s shake quickly before taking possession of his Blueberry Cream Pie shake from Jack’s.

3:10 p.m. – At Post 6 in Corinth I meet Legionnaire Doug Hayhurst, an Army veteran. His nephew, Seth Ricketts, was killed in 2010 in Afghanistan after insurgents attacked his unit. Seth left behind three boys – now all candidates for Legacy Scholarships. “The Legion does great things,” Hayhurst says. “That the Legion takes care of the children of those that were killed – that’s just a huge benefit, a great thing. That’s one of the reasons I’ve been a member of the Legion for years.” Hayhurst says that makes the Legacy Run stopping at his post even more special. “I’ve never been where a Legacy Run came through,” he said. “I wanted to be there today to see … the guys that are doing this.”

3:32 p.m. – The Legacy Run arrives in Corinth, led by Post 6 Commander Tommy Watson. The post’s Legion Riders chapter was the first one chartered in Mississippi; Watson said getting to lead the Run was “recognition for lots of work. We stuck with our focus of the mission of the Legion Riders. We’ve supported the Legacy Run. Now, to get to (lead the ride), that was a lot of satisfaction. I got to lead it as a Rider and as the post commander, but all my other Riders were right behind me.”

4:00 p.m. – Following the placing of two wreaths in front of the post, more than $3,000 is collected for the Legacy Fund. By the end of the day, the entire donation total will have reached $441,410.76.

5:32 p.m. – On Country Club Road, less than a mile from Post 49 in Tupelo, a man wearing a U.S. flag shirt salutes the ride as it passes by.

5:37 p.m. – The Legacy Run arrives at Post 49. In 2014, the post was destroyed by a tornado. Tonight, some of the Legion Riders on the Run have come to the post for its rededication ceremony.

5:45 p.m. – Post 49 Commander Mike Pettigrew says tonight’s ceremony is part of a bigger process. “For us today, this is just a milestone,” he says. “This doesn’t mark the completion of a task or the end of any phases. This is just another milestone in our journey to fulfill our mission for The American Legion, which is really eternal.”

6:11 p.m. – During the rededication ceremony, Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton says Post 49’s effort to battle back from the tornado “symbolizes the continued rebuilding and rebirth of the City of Tupelo from the devastating storm.”

6:16 p.m. – Pettigrew says that once completely finished, Post 49’s new building will allow its members to “not just serve the veterans of our community, (but) we’ll be able to better serve the community itself. That’s what The American Legion is all about.”

6:27 p.m. – National Commander Barnett attends the ceremony. He says that Post 49 is a shining example of what veterans are capable of doing. “They don’t let a single obstacle stand in their way,” he says. “They rise to the occasion and they make things happen because they have a mission. This post has a mission.”


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