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Capt. Ben Smith was 29 when he died in Iraq at hands of the enemy.
His memory and that of 117 other fellow Missourians who lost their lives during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom were at the forefront during a special “Run for the Fallen” commemorative event Saturday morning in Osage Beach.
During a heartfelt ceremony at Osage Beach City Park, an estimated 120 people came out in support of the national tribute memorial event.
Trish Creach, executive director of the Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, said 205 miles were recorded for the national campaign. The effort, started in 2008, encourages participants to run or walk one mile for every service member killed during the two conflicts. Until recently, 116 Missourians had been killed. The death of a Kirksville, Mo., soldier this week pushes that number to 117.
“If God takes me, he’d better take me in a helicopter,” Kathy Smith recalled her son telling her once. “He told me, ‘Mom, when I turn that key on, I get right with God.’”
The Smiths, from Monroe City, were one of four families at the ceremony representing sons or husbands who have lost their lives during the conflicts.
At 18, Smith entered the service and served in Korea before applying to West Point at 21 years of age. His wife, also a captain, served in Iraq as well, though they were stationed at different locations.
Smith piloted the lead helicopter in a group of choppers escorting an Army general. Smith’s aircraft was struck by a shoulder-fired missile, killing all six of the occupants.
Teresa Coonce, mother of 2nd Lt. Mark Gelina, said her son was “very proud to be a marine.” She said he told her he had two objectives in serving in Iraq: To make a difference and to bring all of his friends back safely.
He lost two of his friends in the first month of action. “He knew it was just part of the job,” Teresa told those gathered at the ceremony.
Fallen soldiers and their families representing them were:
•2nd Lt. Mark Gelina — wife, Stacy, children, Brett and Nicolas; parents, Teresa and Mel Coonce from Moberly.
•Capt. Ben Smith — parents, Bill and Kathy Smith from Monroe City.
•Spc. Joshua Neusche — parents, Mark and Cindy Neusche; aunt, Candy Waldin; nieces, Moniq Begley and Hannah McDaniel from Montreal.
•Lance Cpl. Erik Heldt — brother, Matt Heldt from Hermann.
The Lake Area Chamber of Commerce and city of Osage Beach spearheaded Saturday’s event, which featured comments from the four families and performances of the “Star Spangled Banner,” by Melissa Carroll, of Lake Ozark, and “God Bless the USA,” by Rick Arnall, of Osage Beach. A PowerPoint presentation honoring fallen soldiers also was included in the program. The Marine Corps League Color Guard opened the ceremony.
Participating walkers and runners left the park, walked up a newly surfaced entrance to the park and down a new sidewalk to a watering station at Osage Beach Premium Outlet Mall and back, approximately one mile.
“Run for the Fallen” is a national effort that takes place in August every year. That is when “Run for the Fallen” encourages people across the country to run in honor of the fallen. Each participant wore a runners bib with the name of a fallen soldier from Missouri.
The miles at each event, including the Lake of the Ozarks effort, will be pledged towards a national total of miles for all fallen service members. Remembrance runs were scheduled in about 27 states as of early August.
“Run for the Fallen” began as a cross-country memorial run in the summer of 2008 that ran one mile for every soldier killed during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The team ran in relay style, spanning more than 4,000 miles from California to Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C.
Joe Bellona, director and founder of “Run for the Fallen,” developed the idea for the run when his best friend and Hamilton College roommate, 1st Lt. Michael J. Cleary, was killed in Iraq in December 2005.
Contact Dan Field at dan.field@lakemediaonline.com.
Capt. Ben Smith was 29 when he died in Iraq at hands of the enemy.
His memory and that of 117 other fellow Missourians who lost their lives during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom were at the forefront during a special “Run for the Fallen” commemorative event Saturday morning in Osage Beach.
During a heartfelt ceremony at Osage Beach City Park, an estimated 120 people came out in support of the national tribute memorial event.
Trish Creach, executive director of the Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, said 205 miles were recorded for the national campaign. The effort, started in 2008, encourages participants to run or walk one mile for every service member killed during the two conflicts. Until recently, 116 Missourians had been killed. The death of a Kirksville, Mo., soldier this week pushes that number to 117.
“If God takes me, he’d better take me in a helicopter,” Kathy Smith recalled her son telling her once. “He told me, ‘Mom, when I turn that key on, I get right with God.’”
The Smiths, from Monroe City, were one of four families at the ceremony representing sons or husbands who have lost their lives during the conflicts.
At 18, Smith entered the service and served in Korea before applying to West Point at 21 years of age. His wife, also a captain, served in Iraq as well, though they were stationed at different locations.
Smith piloted the lead helicopter in a group of choppers escorting an Army general. Smith’s aircraft was struck by a shoulder-fired missile, killing all six of the occupants.
Teresa Coonce, mother of 2nd Lt. Mark Gelina, said her son was “very proud to be a marine.” She said he told her he had two objectives in serving in Iraq: To make a difference and to bring all of his friends back safely.
He lost two of his friends in the first month of action. “He knew it was just part of the job,” Teresa told those gathered at the ceremony.
Fallen soldiers and their families representing them were:
•2nd Lt. Mark Gelina — wife, Stacy, children, Brett and Nicolas; parents, Teresa and Mel Coonce from Moberly.
•Capt. Ben Smith — parents, Bill and Kathy Smith from Monroe City.
•Spc. Joshua Neusche — parents, Mark and Cindy Neusche; aunt, Candy Waldin; nieces, Moniq Begley and Hannah McDaniel from Montreal.
•Lance Cpl. Erik Heldt — brother, Matt Heldt from Hermann.
The Lake Area Chamber of Commerce and city of Osage Beach spearheaded Saturday’s event, which featured comments from the four families and performances of the “Star Spangled Banner,” by Melissa Carroll, of Lake Ozark, and “God Bless the USA,” by Rick Arnall, of Osage Beach. A PowerPoint presentation honoring fallen soldiers also was included in the program. The Marine Corps League Color Guard opened the ceremony.
Participating walkers and runners left the park, walked up a newly surfaced entrance to the park and down a new sidewalk to a watering station at Osage Beach Premium Outlet Mall and back, approximately one mile.
“Run for the Fallen” is a national effort that takes place in August every year. That is when “Run for the Fallen” encourages people across the country to run in honor of the fallen. Each participant wore a runners bib with the name of a fallen soldier from Missouri.
The miles at each event, including the Lake of the Ozarks effort, will be pledged towards a national total of miles for all fallen service members. Remembrance runs were scheduled in about 27 states as of early August.
“Run for the Fallen” began as a cross-country memorial run in the summer of 2008 that ran one mile for every soldier killed during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The team ran in relay style, spanning more than 4,000 miles from California to Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C.
Joe Bellona, director and founder of “Run for the Fallen,” developed the idea for the run when his best friend and Hamilton College roommate, 1st Lt. Michael J. Cleary, was killed in Iraq in December 2005.
Contact Dan Field at dan.field@lakemediaonline.com.
