Sometimes a good run can help quite a bit, and for Iowa State’s Naval ROTC midshipmen, it helps them to remember their fallen brothers. 

Midshipmen from the Naval ROTC ran at Raccoon River Park in West Des Moines for the sixth annual Iowa Remembrance Run on Sunday. The run is a statewide event that commemorates Iowa’s fallen soldiers, specifically Iowa service members who were casualties of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation New Dawn.

The run also honored Iowa active duty service members who died during that time frame.

Nickolaus Fitcher, senior in accounting, participated in the run for the second time. This was the third time his unit has participated in the run.

The midshipmen, who paid out of pocket to run, were charged the registration fees, which ranged from $20 to $30. All the money that was raised was donated to help fund the Annual Retreat for Iowa Families of Fallen Service Members.

This private retreat is hosted by the Iowa Survivor Outreach Services, along with Iowa Remembers. The event provides families of fallen service members with resources and support along with facilitating a peer network with the participants.

This retreat takes place a day before the run.

“All the proceeds that they get from the run and from the registration money, [with that] they will host a weekend retreat for the families of everyone that they’re honoring that year,” Fitcher said. “So the proceeds go to a very good cause.” 

The run is a 5K, or 3.1 miles, that follows a nature trail around Blue Heron Lake. As the NRTOC members ran in formation, they yelled cadences and carried their unit flag.

“Formation runs and cadences are a popular tradition in the military. So yes, we try to do all three,” said Lisa Freeman, senior in aerospace engineering. “Sometimes even other people at the run who aren’t in our unit will yell cadences with us. It shows support for everyone there. It even motivates the other runners.”

Freeman has participated in the run for every year that she has been here at Iowa State. She said the unit really encourages the run and how it affects the midshipmen within the unit.

“It shows us just how much of a family the military is and that they take care of their own, Freeman said. “Even the family and friends of the fallen and wounded.”

Fitcher said about 15 NRTOC midshipmen ran Sunday.

“It builds a ton of unit morale to go do this. It’s a fun event that we can do, and it brings us all together,” Fitcher said.

Fitcher also said that it strengthens their participation in the community and gets their name recognition. 

“It kind of hits home again as to why we’re doing what we’re doing,” Fitcher said. “It puts everything back into the perspective of, ‘Hey, this isn’t just college, this isn’t just we run around, wake up every morning, or go to [physical training].’ There’s something more to it. It reinforces the fact that there’s more to what we’re doing than just being here at Iowa State.”