An 800-Mile Walk for Their Fallen Comrades

GAUTIER -- By the time the clock neared 2:45 p.m., Chief Master Sgt.Lee Shaffer and Ret. Major Tom Newman had made their way to the highway entrance of Shell Landing on U.S. 90.
Gautier police accompanied the men, two among 18 airmen on an 812-mile trek to honor fallen comrades of special tactics in the U.S. Air Force -- the Tim Davis Memorial March.
Information at www.specialopswalk.com said the march helps to raise funds for the Special Ops Foundation, which provides support for families of deceased special ops airmen.
Residents follow the airmen and post photographs at www.facebook.com/afsocofficial.
Schaffer and Newman were walking east toward Pascagoula, wearing an orange safety vest and carrying an American flag and 50-pound snap sacks. The march's bus and the remaining airmen were behind at a distance, though they soon passed their fellow airmen on foot.
Newman said the march started at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, and is will conclude Wednesday, Oct. 26, at Hurlbert Field in Florida.
Mississippi is one of five states included in the trek, which also passes through Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida.
On their eastbound journey, 18 airmen, their tour bus and other equipment arrived in Gulfport about 5 a.m. today, said reports at WLOX TV-13. They visited Biloxi High School and stopped near Keesler Air Force Base, where Keesler personnel joined the memorial marchers for about three miles, according to the Sun Herald.
They then proceeded through Ocean Springs, Gautier and Pascagoula, and on eastward into Alabama on Monday.

Fallen airmen honored in third memorial march
The Sun Herald/Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Elite Air Force's unit march honors fallen airmen
Mississippi Press/Tuesday, October 25, 2011

This year marks the third for the memorial march, and 2011 specifically honors Tech Sgts. John Brown and Daniel Zerbe and Staff Sgt. Andy Harvell. They died Aug. 6 when their aircraft was shot down in Afghanistan, according to local media.

Honor Flight Booth At Jackson County Fair

PASCAGOULA -- Jen Walton said that t-shirts for the Honor Flight will be available at the Jackson County Fair this week at the group's booth in the county's civic center.

The booth will be open from 5 to 9 p.m.

Volunteers will be allowed to provide a shirt and other items for donations to the Honor Flight program.

Applications for guardians and veterans will be available at the booth.

Volunteers are needed.

Veterans Parade Set for Memorial Monument in Moss Point