A Run of Remembrance

It’s 7:00 AM on a Sunday. We wait on a barren stretch of US-90, just east of Macclenny, Florida. A cold, drizzly rain numbs our fingers as we shiver in the early light of dawn. Northeast Florida is starting to show signs of spring, but this day in mid-February is a throwback to winter—a seasonal tug-of-war. Warm and beautiful one day, with the first azaleas beginning to bud; cold, rainy, and dreary the next. Much like a snowbird weary of the long, confining winter, a cold front flees the western Rockies, making its cross-country trek to find warmer lodgings on the Atlantic shore. A good morning to still be in bed—or at least cradling a hot cup of coffee next to the wood stove.

But on this morning, we are where we want to be.
Where we need to be is probably a more accurate statement.

We are waiting at mile marker 117, day three of Florida’s annual Run for the Fallen, where a core group of dedicated long-distance runners make a 176-mile run from the State Capitol in Tallahassee to a closing ceremony at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial, in the shadow of the stadium where the Jaguars play. These driven, patriotic athletes—many of them veterans themselves—reverently pause every mile along the way, paying tribute to nearly 1,200 Florida military service members who have fallen over the last twenty-plus years during the War on Terror. They say their names aloud to remember and honor their service. They also love and uplift the Gold Star families who have suffered such tremendous loss.

Our son, SSG George L. Taber V, is one of those fallen. He was a Green Beret Medic stationed at the 7th Special Forces Group at Eglin AFB in the Florida Panhandle. Following three years of rigorous selection, training, and deployment to Central America, he continued his tactical and professional development by volunteering for Army Ranger School—the Army’s premier leadership training program. On August 9th, 2022, during the mountain phase of training, he was suddenly and tragically killed by a falling tree, blown down during a ferocious summer storm on Mt. Yonah in north Georgia. He was thirty years old, living his dream—one that ended far too soon.

We hear the low rumble of Harleys as the Patriot Guard, a veteran motorcycle group, leads the way. We see the flashing lights and sirens of the Baker County Sheriff’s escort vehicles. Then we see the flags emerging from the mist, like a surreal flashback to battlefields of yesteryear—“Old Glory” floating through the smoke, dust, and mayhem of brutal fighting fields, leading the charge and rallying the soldiers onward. You can almost feel the souls of the fallen collectively join the footfalls of the runners as they near our position.

The lead runner, carrying the American flag, chants:
“How do we run?”
The team responds in loud unison:
“We run as one!”
“Why do we run?”
“For those who can’t.”

They stop. Nine runners form a half-circle in front of us. The United States, Florida, and Honor and Remember flags flutter in the chilly breeze.

“Are any Gold Star families or friends present at this Hero marker?”
The lump in my throat tightens as I exhale:
“Yes.”
“What is the name of your Hero?”
“SSG George Taber.”

I feel tears swelling in my eyes as I say my son’s name out loud.

“We thank you for your sacrifice and are sorry for your loss.”
“This Hero marker is dedicated to these Florida military servicemembers who have lost their lives in service to our nation.”
“Hero Marker 3-117.”

The lead runner begins calling out names one by one.

“SSGT Christopher Goski.”
Another runner raises a small American flag to the sky and then touches the ground—signifying life, death, and active remembrance.

“SFC Michael Goski.”
Again, a small flag is raised to the sky and then touches the ground.

Oh my gosh—were they brothers? Did this poor family lose two sons? My chest tightens. I struggle to breathe. I don’t know the Goskis, but this is grief on a scale I can’t even begin to fathom.

“SGT Todd Sommer…”
This sequence repeats nine times, honoring nine heroes until the final flag is raised. The lead runner/narrator looks at us through watery eyes and pauses, knowing our son is next. His words come haltingly and heavily, cutting through acute memories of brothers lost in foreign lands, and the internal struggles that continue at home.

“SSG George Taber.”
The flag is lifted and touches the ground for the final time at Hero Marker 3-117.

My wife is given the flag, Hero marker sign, and a yellow rose.
We have tears in our eyes—but we are warm now.

The runners and support crew form a line and give us big, sweaty hugs, whispering condolences and sweet prayers into our yearning ears. They take their time, even though they still have miles to go today and are on a tight schedule. We line up for a picture with the group holding our Honor and Remember flag with our son’s name on it. This flag was presented to us the year before by Honor and Remember, the parent 501(c)(3) organization for the Run for the Fallen. Their lofty goal is to present one of these flags to every Gold Star family in the nation. We were fortunate that someone(s) sponsored the $500.00 to personalize and present our son’s flag to us.

Whoever you are—thank you!

The running team will have to pick up their pace for several miles to make up for the intentional lingering at this marker. But they don’t mind. This is a large part of the why they do this; many return to run and support this event year after year.

The team gathers, and the support vehicles line up. Off they go to Hero Mile Marker 3-118, where they will repeat the same simple yet respectful remembrance over and over again. Most of the mile markers will be on empty stretches of roads with no families or spectators in sight, but they give every name they speak the honor and dignity our fallen so richly deserve. Some family members will run their loved one’s mile with the running team, proudly carrying their H&R flag. The runners slow down to whatever pace needs to be set and love to see that level of family dedication.

The Run for the Fallen is spearheaded by the nonprofit Honor and Remember. Their mission statement reads:
“To publicly Honor and Remember every American fallen service member and recognize the enduring sacrifice of every family.”

As a Gold Star father, I can attest that they live up to their mission statement in every way. They continue to remember our fallen sons and daughters and uplift the families left behind.

How can you help?

Find out when the Run for the Fallen occurs in your state (runforthefallen.org). Currently, 12 states participate in the run. Find a Gold Star family and be with them at their Hero’s mile marker. Or find a random mile marker and be there to honor the fallen, whether you know them or not. Support the runners and Gold Star families at the final closing ceremony.

Visit Honor and Remember and pledge your general support, or consider helping to sponsor a flag for a Gold Star family. Remember that hundreds of flags have yet to be presented because they are currently unfunded.

If you are a serious runner, you can volunteer to be part of the core running team or the support staff for Run for the Fallen.

Together, we can all make a difference in honoring our fallen heroes and their families.

We run for those who can’t.

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Tab Taber is a Gold-Star Dad–father of SSG George L. Taber V, a Green Beret Medical Sergeant from 7th SFG who died during a violent storm on Mt. Yonah while in the Mountain phase of Ranger School in August 2022. Tab journals to process his grief and to recollect memories of his son. Occasionally he shares his written thoughts with The Havok Journal and on Instagram @gltiv. He retired from the Military (8 years Marines;15 years Army) in 2014 and now resides in NE Florida where he runs a 4th generation wholesale plant nursery. He can be reached at tabtaber7@gmail.com.

As the Voice of the Veteran Community, The Havok Journal seeks to publish a variety of perspectives on a number of sensitive subjects. Unless specifically noted otherwise, nothing we publish is an official point of view of The Havok Journal or any part of the U.S. government.