Editor鈥檚 note: All this month leading up to the Marine Corps Marathon, 蜜桃视频app鈥檚 Jamie Forzato has聽 who have endured loss, persevered through personal struggles and found hope.
ELLICOTT CITY, Md.聽鈥� Anna Bevill and her brother Thomas Doerflinger had a love-hate sibling relationship growing up in Mount Rainier, Maryland.
鈥淚鈥檓 the oldest of four. My brother was the first sibling that I got. He was three years younger than me,鈥� Anna said. 鈥淲e fought a lot, but we were really close.鈥�
But by the time Thomas turned 18 in 2002, they were developing their friendship as adults. He joined the Army that year and while his family respected his decision, they were apprehensive.
鈥淚 said, 鈥楾homas, why would you want to do this when you know we are at war? 9/11 just happened. It鈥檚 inevitable. You will be in conflict.鈥� He was like, 鈥榃ell, I鈥檇 rather join now and be useful than sit around wasting taxpayer money during a time of peace.鈥欌��
Two years later, he was preparing to deploy to Iraq. The family flew to Fort Lewis in Washington state 鈥� now known as Joint Base Lewis-McChord 鈥� to see him off in October 2004.
鈥淭he last thing I said to him was, 鈥業 love you.鈥� And I gave him a big hug,鈥� she recalled. 鈥淗e knew I was getting emotional. He was like, 鈥楶ff. Come on. I鈥檓 coming back.鈥欌��
Less than one month later, Army Spc. Doerflinger was killed by a sniper in Mosul, Iraq.
鈥淗e was shot in the head. He died instantly. There was no pain. Because this sniper had this armor-penetrating ammunition, it went through his helmet,鈥� Anna said.
It was Nov. 11, 2004 — Veterans Day. He was 20 years old.
鈥淎 loss like that changes your family forever. It changes your life forever. It changes your perspective on things forever,鈥� she said.
With Thomas in mind, Anna made a life-altering decision on her 30th birthday. At the time, she had a 1-year-old child and was recently separated from her husband.
鈥淥ne day, I realized I needed to do something better for myself. So I quit smoking and started running the same day,鈥� she said.
In his memory, she completed the D.C. Veterans Day 10K that year and thought about signing up for a marathon 鈥� something Thomas would have found amusing.
鈥淥ne of the things we bonded over as adult friends was smoking,鈥� she said, laughing. 鈥淚 know that running wasn鈥檛 something that he loved to do. He enjoyed a good cigarette and having a drink with his friends. So I know that if he saw that I signed up for a marathon, he would be like, 鈥榃hy? Why would you want to do this to yourself?鈥欌��
She joined the “” organization two years ago, a running community of about聽6,000 members worldwide. She began running with them at Centennial Park in Ellicott City, close to her home in Columbia.
Anna, now 35, was invited to run this year鈥檚 Marine Corps Marathon 鈥� her first marathon 鈥� as part of their Gold Star Race Program.
鈥淎s you can imagine, losing somebody like that 鈥� a spouse, a child, a sibling 鈥� that ache just continues day after day. To have that type of support network, even in a small way, helps them,鈥� said program director Chris Bryant. 鈥淥n the weekend of the race, we just try to make sure that they understand how much we appreciate what they鈥檝e sacrificed. We try to make sure it鈥檚 an experience for them that they will never forget and one that helps launch them into the adventure that their lives still hold for them.鈥�
Before each race, the group huddles up in a circle and reads the names of fallen service members who died on that day since the beginning of the war on terror. Bryant says it reminds them they are about to take purposeful steps.
鈥淭he people who cross the finish line are different from the people who toe it up at the beginning. It鈥檚 a transformation that occurs on any marathon. You are changed by the experience,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he Marine Corps Marathon is special because the officers drape that medal across your neck and they salute you. It鈥檚 such a powerful way to end the race.鈥�
Anna says the group has given her a way to move forward with her life and honor the little brother she lost.
鈥淚 would want people to remember he had an amazing sense of humor. He was such a funny guy. He did great impressions. He loved to write. I鈥檓 very confident he would have written some amazing books if he was still with us today,鈥� she said.
She added, 鈥淲e were all very proud of him. He was out there, ultimately, to protect his brothers. We will always miss him. We would never let him be forgotten.鈥�
