By Brooke Loftis

An improvised explosive device prematurely ended the life of University of Tennessee graduate, Lieutenant Frank B. Walkup IV. The detonation, however, could not destroy his legacy. Saturday morning, April 17, 2010, Walkup lived in the strides of twenty one Appalachian State University ROTC Cadets and students which were taken during the annual Mountain Man Memorial March in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

 Marking its third consecutive year, the Mountain Man Memorial March was originally conceived by the University of Tennessee Army ROTC in honor of its fallen alumnus. The event has grown by the hundreds, attracting competitors across the southeast. Entrants may register for one of three categories: military heavy, military light, or civilian. Competitors then choose a full, half, or quarter marathon distance. The option of team or individual is available in the military heavy and military light divisions.

 Appalachian State University ROTC, Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Haimes Kilgore, sponsored the team of contestants along with donations and support from Mr. G. A. Sywassick.  The 2010 team was advised and coached by Master Sergeant Karl Arbogast, and trained by Appalachian State’s very own Spencer McKinney and Amanda Young.  This year was Appalachian State’s second trial at the Mountain Man Memorial March.

Promptly after arriving Friday evening, our cadets attended an opening ceremony in recognition of the East Tennessee Gold Star Mothers hosted by Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies Plaza. Here, the mothers sat in a row with echoes of thanks in their eyes. A gold star flag symbolizing a fallen service member was presented by each mother to teams for wear during the march. This commemoration was a beautiful display of the Mountain Man motto, “Support the Future, Honor the Past”.   

                  At 0700 hours on event day, Appalachian State infiltrated the Pancake Pantry for some last minute carb loading. Mental preparation began soon after at the kickoff site. Enthusiasm was summoned by the mass arrival of participants while deep pride in our nation developed from a graceful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. Dark clouds attempted to tease competitors, but nothing could break their focus.

                  Minutes before start time, an endless tessellation of military boots filled the streets of downtown Gatlinburg. Appalachian State candidates strategically stacked by event; nine runners lined the front, followed by six military light and six more military heavy competitors. A vocal two minute countdown ended at the flash of 00:00 and the pavement was immediately trampled with a unified pounding of boots and complete eclipse of camouflage.

                  Although scenic, the route planned for Mountain Man even made our van breathe heavily. We rode through sections of highway and rugged rural roads, somehow uphill in both directions. Training for months in similar conditions helped every competitor from Appalachian State take a lead position only moments into the Memorial March. One hour in, the Individual Civilian Half Marathon runners continued pacing at their speed from the start line. A brief check on the other teams and a taped foot later, I found myself at the finish line congratulating all eight entered in the civilian half marathon for finishing first through eighth!  

                  By 1300 hours everyone except the Military Heavy Full Marathoners crossed the finish line with a top three placement. Aware their comrades had begun hours ahead wearing full ACUs, military boots, an LBV, and a 35 pound rucksack, the finished participants climbed into Appalachian State’s ROTC truck bed with renewed energy to share. A faster gait and hint of a smile reflected the great support received from their cadre and fellow Mountaineers. These final contestants admitted to reminding themselves of their reason for marching. Knowledge of those who sacrificed was enough to get them through. Pure elation hit at the final curve and they took off in full sprint, some members secretly praying their legs would continue to support them until the end.  

The level of leadership and dedication shown by Appalachian State ROTC cadets remained unmatched by competition throughout the day, an effort rewarded Saturday evening at the closing ceremony. Instead of slowing due to a sweltering afternoon sun, they absorbed its energy, placing one foot in front of the other. Teams clearly communicated and individuals pushed forward, all marching in time to the core ROTC values. While my confidence in the future of our economy and political state may sometimes waver, I hold full faith in the ability of these cadets to protect our country.  

                   Every speaker at the award ceremony spoke of the same belief. Below is the breakdown of results for Appalachian State University from the 2010 Mountain Man Memorial March:

                  Individual Civilian Half Marathon:              1^st place through 8^th place

                  Individual Civilian Full Marathon:               1^st place                 

                  Team Military Light Half Marathon:            1^st place

                  Team Military Heavy Full Marathon:           1^st place

                  Individual Military Light Half Marathon:      2^nd place

                  Individual Military Heavy Full Marathon:     3^rd place

All winners from individual categories and the Team Military Light Half accepted medallions. The Team Military Heavy Full received the honor of being awarded The Walkup Cup trophy, very practical walking sticks, and a check for $1000. Ensuring that the memory of those past has left its mark on these participants and they have already begun to prepare for next year. 

The cycle of those present who honor those American patriots who sacrificed before will ensure that the memories of these individuals march on, always. 

 This years Military Ball is going to be held 30 Apr 2010 at the Broyhill Center. 

Below is the timeline for this event.

1700  Arrival  

1730  Social Time 

1745  Receiving Line 

1830  Seat the mess, Posting of Colors, Fallen Soldier’s Table, Creeds, History of Dining Out 

1850  Invocation and Toasts 

1900  Open the Mess    

1945  Mess Break 

2000  Dessert and Coffee 

2005  Guest Speaker 

2015  Awards and Branching Ceremony  

2120  Closing Remarks 

2125  Retire Colors 

2130  UTC-Dancing

Memorandum for LTC Kilgore

 CDT Hoffman recently traveled to Northern India with a program called Project GOLD India. This program was developed with NCSU and Cadet Command. NCSU has a Urdu intensive language program that they offer during the summer sessions. The goal of the India trip was to spark students interest in the Urdu language. The interesting part about the trip was that Pakistan is the country that has a majority of Urdu speakers, while northern India speaks Hindi.

The group consisted of 24 students from all over the country, but half were from NCSU. The Group visited sites like the Taj Mahal, Akbar the Greats tomb, the Red Fort, as well as Aligarh Muslim University, the American Institute for Indian Studies, and Jain University (This is a religion). The trip was very educational, especially for future Army officers. It allowed students  to see the world from a different perspective. India is a very poor country, but there is a movement towards becoming more western. CDT Hoffman is quoted saying "I’ll never take the United States of America for granted ever again, this is the greatest country in the world." Globalization is taking effect, and you can see it easily. The college age generation is trying to imitate the culture of western college students. While Hoffman was there he learned a lot about how America is viewed in other parts of the world. People loved the fact Obama was elected because it proved that racism in the states is on a sharp decline, they hope will be the same there soon in regards to the caste system. Most of students we interacted with loved American culture/music/movies, so it was very interesting to see an extremely historical country trying to change so rapidly. 

 By Ryan Seals
News & Record

GREENSBORO — A Greensboro police recruit is placing his goal of becoming a police officer on hold to assist with the earthquake relief efforts in Haiti.

Nicholas Goughnour, 27, left his post as platoon leader in the 91st Police Basic Introductory Course on Wednesday to resume his full-time duties to the Army Reserve as a first lieutenant.