USAR ORGANIZATIONS

U. S. Army Reserve Command soldiers join Command Sergeant Major's "Honor Walk" for World War II Memorial

ATLANTA -- How do you spell dedication? Well, for Command Sgt. Maj. Ronald Bedford, it’s 71 days, 1500 miles, 144 cities, 2,792,000 steps! On day 20, 450 miles into the trip, go ahead and add a couple of pair of walking shoes! That’s the day soldiers from the U.S. Army Reserve Command caught up with and walked 15 miles with the Command Sgt. Maj. on his journey to raise funds for the National World War II Memorial.

"I didn’t even know there wasn’t a memorial for those heroes," said Bedford, who serves as the senior enlisted soldier at Fort Rucker, Ala. "After seeing the movie ‘Saving Private Ryan’, I saw Tom Hanks on TV and he mentioned it." Bedford then called his father to confirm it and it was then, last January, that he knew he had to do something to help pay tribute to the Americans who helped win the largest war of all time.

It’s called the "Honor Walk" and Bedford is proud to be walking in honor of his father, who served during World War II. "How many sons can say, ‘I gave my dad a memorial’? To me it would be the greatest gift I could give to a man I love and respect with all my heart."

Bedford said it took the Non-Commissioned Officers Association about 60 seconds to agree to be his sponsor. In fact, Command Sgt. Maj. (Ret.) Roger Putman, President of NCOA said, "The NCOA is proud to honor the men and women who defended our country in World War II. We encourage everyone who can to join Command Sgt. Maj. Bedford on portions of the route, and to make donations to the Memorial in the name of NCOA Memorial Honor Walk."

USARC soldiers and Command Sgt. Maj. Bedford pose next to his support vehicle during a brief respite from his "Honor Walk."

Reactions from onlookers have been pretty overwhelming, recalls Bedford, as he suddenly becomes very serious reflecting back to his first day on the walk. He spoke of a woman who pulled up beside him and told him there was an old man down the street in the nursing home who didn’t have long to live. "She said it would mean a lot if I could visit him; they call him Colonel." The next day he went to the nursing home near Foley, Ala., and found Colonel.

He was about 92 and didn’t speak but he listened intently when Bedford told him about what he was doing and about the honor walk. He also thanked him for serving his country and providing us the freedoms we have today. Bedford was reaching in his pocket to get a coin to present to Colonel when above his bed he noticed a retirement certificate. Tears filled the old man’s eyes when Bedford gave him a coin and simply said, "Thank-you General."

Master Sgt. Debra Wilcox was one of the USARC soldiers who met Bedford when he walked through Georgia. She is the NCOA Chapter Chairperson for the metro Atlanta area. "I’m glad we’re finally doing something to honor and preserve the memory of those who sacrificed for us and defended our freedom." Wilcox added, " I salute Command Sgt. Maj. Bedford for his initiative in everything he is doing and it was honor to provide support."

NCOA Membership Developer Command Sgt. Maj. (Ret.) Oscar Barker is traveling with Bedford. He was not at all surprised to see USARC soldiers out on the route. "The USARC is our number one supporter in Atlanta, bar none." He added, "If it wasn’t for the USARC I don’t know that we would even have a chapter in Atlanta."

Right now ground breaking for the Memorial is scheduled for Veteran’s Day 2000. Bedford thinks this is a no-go. He said, "Do you realize that about 1,000 WWII vets die each day? If we wait, who will be around to enjoy it?" Bedford wants that first shovel in the ground "this century". He said, "It is for the veterans, but it’s also for those on the home front who contributed to the war effort. This will be the first national memorial acknowledging the commitment and achievement of the entire nation."

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Revised: September 30, 1999

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