"I
went to the dedication of the Wall and found out
there were a lot of people just like me that were
pretty upset with our government because they
just left so many guys back there in the prisons
- the POWs - and they weren't trying to find out
what happened to them. I met some of their
families and it just tore me up. These young
women with children had no idea where their
husbands were but no one seemed to care.
"I was at the Wall and it just hit me. What can I do to show my respect for these people and their families and to let the general public know we can't forget what happened? I was just starting to run and I thought I'd just dedicate every mile I run. My goal is 58,226 miles. That's one mile for each American who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country during the Vietnam War.
"We've got to remember that freedom isn't free and that we've got to respect our veterans right now, and in the future and in the past. A lot of guys just gave it up. I've got to finish this mission. I've got 12,000 more miles to run and I'm going to do it hopefully before something wears out."
"I was at the Wall and it just hit me. What can I do to show my respect for these people and their families and to let the general public know we can't forget what happened? I was just starting to run and I thought I'd just dedicate every mile I run. My goal is 58,226 miles. That's one mile for each American who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country during the Vietnam War.
"We've got to remember that freedom isn't free and that we've got to respect our veterans right now, and in the future and in the past. A lot of guys just gave it up. I've got to finish this mission. I've got 12,000 more miles to run and I'm going to do it hopefully before something wears out."
Army veteran
Mike Bowen can be seen running through the area,
including Saturday's Crim 10-mile race, carrying
a POW-MIA flag. "It's a good feeling. A lot of
people come up to me and just thank me for
remembering," Bowen said. He said he makes
frequent trips to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial,
known as "the Wall," seeking out the names of the
seven people he knew who died and spending a few
minutes with each of them.
Mike Bowen, 57, of Flushing,
enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving from 1968-70
in Germany. He started running in 1982, the same
year the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated.
He carries the POW/MIA flag as he trains and runs
races and marathons across the country. Since he
started, heís logged more than 46,500 miles and
has run 40 marathons. If all goes well, Bowen
figures he'll reach his goal of 58,226 miles by
about age 65. What's next? "It looks like I'm
going to have to run at least 2,000 more miles
for the guys that are dying right now in Iraq.
And if I'm still healthy I'll go ahead and get
the Korean guys, too," Bowen said.
Bowen, who works at Grand Blanc Metal Center, has been married to Patty for 32 years. "She travels with me, coaches me, cheers for me. She knows what I'm going through physically and mentally. I love her," he said.
Point of action
Bowen is a member of the Michigan Chapter 5 of Rolling Thunder, Inc., in Brighton. The group promotes public awareness of the POW/MIA issue and is committed to helping veterans of all wars. If you'd like more information about the group you can visit their Web site at: www.rollingthundermi.com.
Bowen, who works at Grand Blanc Metal Center, has been married to Patty for 32 years. "She travels with me, coaches me, cheers for me. She knows what I'm going through physically and mentally. I love her," he said.
Point of action
Bowen is a member of the Michigan Chapter 5 of Rolling Thunder, Inc., in Brighton. The group promotes public awareness of the POW/MIA issue and is committed to helping veterans of all wars. If you'd like more information about the group you can visit their Web site at: www.rollingthundermi.com.
