Through sun and stars, ‘Old Glory’ carried on march for veterans

Beginning at 1 p.m. Friday and continuing for the next 24 hours, members of the community marched outside the Lawton Fort Sill Veterans Center’s reflection pond carrying the nation’s colors.

It wasn’t “Back to Bataan,” but it was a march in honor of Veterans Day and the men and women who served freedom’s call in the United States military.

Organizer of the Steps Under the Stars and Stripes, Joslyn Wood said over 100 people walked in one-hour incements a mile in the boots for the veterans housed at the center. They carried the colors over through the day, overnight and into early Saturday afternoon in groups. Its inception was a calling, she said.

“It’s something I felt God laid on my heart,” she said.

The volunteers who signed up were in the 80 but many showed up to join the effort. Wood spoke of a veteran motorcyclist who showed up at midnight Friday to make his trek.

In one Saturday morning grouping, Patty Sheffield pushed her granddaughter Ava Rickerd in her stroller as Ava’s mom, Andrea carried the colors. They were joined by Chad Fox and Amanda Wiseman.

In his motorized scooter, one of the residents of the Veterans Center, Larry Hamill kept pace. After serving in the Army from 1967 to 1989, he knows the cost to keep those colors raised high. He said he wanted to see this mission through to the end when he spoke with Wood.

“I’ve made it the first round,” he said, “and I want to be in the last one.”

Wood set it up for Hamill to carry a flag with the Mountain Area AMBUCS who would close out the walk.

At the walk’s end, the flag would be presented to the veterans at the center, accepted on behalf of the nation’s veterans and active-duty service members.

Knowing an Army marches on its stomach, Wood received donations of complimentary hot dogs from Bar-S that were prepared by Arvest Bank volunteers. Water and colas were provide by Pepsi Beverages Co.

Wood said the community involvement and participation means this is simply the first Steps Under the Stars and Stripes event.

“We’re definitely doing another next year,” she said. “As soon as they heard about it, people jumped right on board.”