Freedom Walk Helps Groups Spread Word

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Sept. 9, 2007 - As thousands of people filled the Pentagon parking lot at the end of the third America Supports You Freedom Walk today, they were greeted by groups individually working toward the collective goal of supporting troops and their families. Representatives of more than 20 groups that support America Supports You were on hand to let people know what they do for the troops. America Supports You is a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

The groups, which send care packages and letters, offer support to wounded servicemembers, and assist military families agreed the walk gave them the opportunity to tell the participants how they could support the troops.

"There's a lot of people out there that don't realize that you can write to a servicemember," said Kristen Petrella, president of the New Jersey-based Hugs from Home, a letter-writing group. "We're going to ... let them know that, 'Yes, you can do that.'"

Landstuhl Hospital Care Project, treasurer Sharon Buck, said her group participated for the same reason. "Our purpose today is to hand out pamphlets if people are interested in learning what our mission is," she said.

The project supports the chaplains' center at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, Buck said. Its support arrives at the chaplains' center in the form of a black backpack containing basic necessities that wounded servicemembers may need but not have when they arrive in Germany, such as underwear, T-shirts, toiletries and other needed items.

Another group participating in the post-Freedom Walk activities, Soldiers' Angels, successfully spread the word about its efforts by attracting walkers like Karina Rollins with the opportunity to write a message to the troops. The Washington resident, who plans to "adopt" a servicemember through the group, said supporting the troops is a must for her despite not having any ties to the military.

"I do not have a family member or a friend who is in Iraq, so it's not a personal thing in that sense," Rollins said. "We need to show them that we care about more than getting soy lattes and watching 'American Idol.' We need to show that we understand that there is something very big and important going on."

The support groups and walkers said the Freedom Walk did just that, and has done so since the inaugural event on the fourth anniversary of the attacks.

"We need to keep the memory alive," Carol Watanabe, lead volunteer with Little Patriots Embraced, a Missouri group, said. "It's important to rally the American people and make them understand that we support ... our troops.

"There's nothing more important than our troops knowing that we are standing behind them," she said.

Little Patriots Embraced works to relieve stress on the families of deployed servicemembers through care packages that include teddy bears, writing journals and blankets for newborns, Watanabe said.

Cindi Bookout, president of Operation Homefront's D.C. Metro chapter, agreed that letting troops and their families know they have support is paramount. Her group accomplishes this through chapters in 31 states that provide support to the families of deployed servicemembers.

"The Freedom Walk is important because it lets (servicemembers) know that there are thousands of people all over the United States – not just here in Washington, D.C., but all over the (country) – that support our servicemembers," she said.

With more than 230 walks scheduled to take place between yesterday and Sept. 11, in all 50 states and 10 countries, Americans are doing just that -- thanking those who serve, remembering those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, and commemorating the tragic events of six years ago.

This year's America Supports You Freedom Walk began at the Lincoln Memorial and ended with a musical tribute by the Harlem Gospel Choir in the Pentagon's parking lot.

Thousands Commemorate Sept. 11 Anniversary During Freedom Walk

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Sept. 9, 2007 - In stark contrast to Sept. 11, 2001, when thousands fled the burning Pentagon building, today thousands walked toward it during the third annual America Supports You Freedom Walk honoring those killed in the 9/11 attacks and the nation's veterans, past and present. Thousands assembled early today at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, enjoying a picture-perfect morning reminiscent of the one shattered six years ago during terror attacks at the Pentagon, New York's World Trade Center and in Shanksville, Pa.

The crowd represented a cross-section of America -- all ages, races and backgrounds – but shared a common focus as their procession streamed along the mile-and-a-half route from the National Mall to the Pentagon.

Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, deputy chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, praised the Freedom Walk as a way to recognize not just those killed on Sept. 11, but also those who have suffered since then preserving the freedoms attacked that day.

"This demonstrates that there is still great recognition of all the military people and civilians who have supported this effort, and the contributions and sacrifices they have made," he said.

"It's become a great tradition," agreed Navy Secretary Donald C. Winter. "We're gathered here to mark the memory of those lost on 9/11 and since in the conflict, and to show the consolidated support."

Retired Army Lt. Col. Deborah Ivory was among the many participants who have sacrificed personally. Her soldier husband, Sgt. Maj. Lacey Ivory, was killed during the Pentagon attack.

"My husband died a horrible death, so whenever there is a way for me to honor my husband and his memory, I will participate," Ivory said as she pushed her grandmother's wheelchair along the route.

Ivory said her family, all sporting buttons with her late husband's smiling face, find comfort as they take part in the annual Freedom Walk. "The fact that everyone has come together to honor the fallen really warms my heart," she said. "The first time I did it, I cried the whole time. It's all been so healing for me."

Army Capt. Kent Solheim, his leg elevated in a wheelchair and a Purple Heart pinned to his T-shirt, called his first Freedom Walk an important way to honor troops killed or wounded battling terrorism.

"We can never forget this," said Solheim, a special operator from Fort Bragg, N.C., being treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for four gunshot wounds he suffered in Iraq in late July. "It's paramount that we always remember those killed on Sept. 11, who paid the price, and all those who have paid the price since." He's said it's particularly important to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. "They're the real heroes," he said.

Propelling his own wheelchair throughout the route, Solheim said events like the Freedom Walk ensure that the country never forgets what happened on Sept. 11, and pass those memories on to future generations. "If we don't do this stuff now, how are our kids going to know what happened?" he asked.

As they gathered to begin today's walk, participants waved flags as Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England told them the only reason terrorists killed nearly 3,000 Americans on Sept. 11 was that they didn't know how to kill more. The crowd cheered when England told them the United States will do "whatever we need to do to protect and defend our freedoms and our liberties."

England and Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, led the Freedom Walk participants past the Lincoln Memorial and across Memorial Bridge, where sunlight sparkled on the Potomac River below.

Gainey's wife, Cindy, walked at his side as she observed her birthday today. "I asked her how she wanted to celebrate, and this is what she wanted to do," Gainey said of his wife.

Cindy Gainey said she could think of no better way to spend her special day than recognizing what the troops do for the country.

"You hear a lot about support for the troops, but actions speak louder than words. People here are showing their support and demonstrating that they appreciate our military," she said. "This validates everything that they are doing."

While recognizing the freedoms servicemembers are protecting, Command Sgt. Maj. Gainey said, the Freedom Walk helps maintain focus on what he called this generation's Pearl Harbor.

"Soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen recognize more than anyone that that day changed our lives forever," he said. "This is another way of reminding people that we can never forget what happened that day."

Retired Navy Lt. Cmdr. Paul McGinnis led a formation of 37 Navy Sea Cadets across Memorial Bridge into Virginia. The group, calling cadence as it marched, has participated in the Freedom Walk every year since it started in 2004. "We believe in it, we believe in what it's honoring, and we believe in the importance of remembering what happened on 9/11," he said. "It will happen again if we don't."

Approaching Arlington National Cemetery, with Lee Mansion standing majestically overhead, Army Sgt. Larry Miller pushed a stroller with his two children, Jacob, 5, and Kyla, 4. With his wife, Holly, at his side, Miller said the Freedom Walk is particularly meaningful to him because he was serving at nearby Fort Meade, Md., on 9/11, has deployed to Iraq, and hails from New York.

"It's personal for me," said Miller, a medic now stationed at Fort Belvoir, Va. "I wanted to be here because this is a good event and a good cause."

Equally important, he said, the Freedom Walk offers a reminder to people whose lives have returned to normal since 9/11 that their armed forces remain on guard, protecting the freedoms that were attacked that day. "A lot of people outside the military don't realize what we do on an everyday basis," Miller said. "This helps remind them."

Passing the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery, Marine Corps Capt. Chad Carbone carried his 2-year-old son, Nathan, on his shoulders. At his side walked 11-year-old nephew Hayden, whose father, Maj. Dave Bardorf, is at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, Calif., preparing for his third deployment to Iraq.

"He's out there risking his life for us," said Hayden of his father. "This shows that we're supporting him."

Support for the military is nothing new for the Bardorf family. Hayden's mother, Rene Bardorf, who also walked today, helped found the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund for families of Marines and sailors wounded during combat or training. Young Hayden helped set up and run a lemonade stand at Quantico, Va., to raise money for the project.

"We're walking as a family because we all recognize the importance of showing our support," said Carbone, who served at Quantico, Va. "We're all here to support the cause."

As the procession approached the Pentagon, Army Sgt. Michael Halmon and Staff Sgt. Curtis Taylor, both Iraqi war veterans from the 55th Sustainment Brigade at Fort Belvoir, Va., reflected on the message the Freedom Walk sends to the men and women in uniform.

"This shows that we remember the people killed on 9/11 and support our fallen comrades," said Halmon, his children Rachael and Lafayette at his side.

It also sends a message to children that the lessons of Sept. 11 can never be forgotten, Taylor said. "It's important for kids to remember, too. This is a part of history. It's something we can never forget."

Nearing the Pentagon parking lot, Department of Agriculture employee Gloria Chance hoisted an "Agriculture" sign, one of several denoting various federal agency employee groups participating in the Freedom Walk.

Chance said she rarely misses church on a Sunday morning, but considered today's Freedom Walk a worthy exception. "Being here is my Christian duty and my civic duty," she said.

"It's so important that we as a country embrace the freedoms we have and recognize that Sept. 11 was a direct assault against all of us," she said. "We need to remember that so it doesn't ever happen again -- because when you forget the past, that's when it comes right back at you."

Navy Airman Zachary Reich and his wife, Nicole, streamed past a giant American flag hanging from the side of the Pentagon building, reminiscent of the flag hung six years ago, hours after the Sept. 11 attack.

Nicole, nine months pregnant and expecting to give birth to her son, Boston, "any time now," said she considers the Freedom Walk an important first lesson for her son that she plans to reinforce throughout his life.

"I'll be able to tell him that he was a part of this and what it all meant," she said, looking down at the belly bulging beneath her Freedom Walk T-shirt. "Hopefully this will help motivate him so he can go out and do his part, too, to support his community and his country."

As the Freedom Walk participants finished their walk at the Pentagon parking lot, they sipped water and clapped to the sounds of the Harlem Gospel Choir and the Army Field Band's Jazz Ambassadors.

Kelly Wright, co-anchor of Fox & Friends Weekend and a former Army sergeant, served as emcee at the closing concert. Wright noted the appropriateness of starting the Freedom Walk in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial, which honors a man who knew how precious freedom is, and how high its cost is.

Equally symbolic, he said, was its ending point, just steps from the site where 184 lives were snuffed out on Sept. 11, 2001, he said. Wright told the group he hopes their participation in the Freedom Walk serves as an inspiration and a reminder of the lessons of 9/11.

"The Freedom Walk celebrates our freedom and reminds us of the sacrifice that's been made – and continues to be made," he said.

Thousands to Participate in Third National Freedom Walk

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Sept. 7, 2007 - Thousands have indicated their desire to commemorate the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, and support the nation's troops by walking in the third annual America Supports You Freedom Walk here Sept. 9. America Supports You is a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

"I think more than ever, our military men and women need to know that we support them," said Stephanie Linder, the national Freedom Walk coordinator. "It's really meant to just show thanks for these people that are day in and day out putting their necks on the line for our freedoms."

Today, with just hours to go before online registration closes at 6 p.m., more than 8,000 people had registered to walk from the Lincoln Memorial to the Pentagon. The walk, which will begin at 9 a.m., will conclude in the Pentagon south parking lot with a musical tribute by the Harlem Gospel Choir. Those wishing to attend the musical tribute must be registered and participate in the walk.

Across the country, 229 similar walks will be held in all 50 states and 10 countries around the world. That's nearly 100 more than last year, Linder said.

"I think that shows ... American citizens here within the country and American citizens all over the world are remembering the day ... and extending their support to our (military) men and women," she said.

The story behind each walk is as unique as the walks themselves. In Baton Rouge, La., Dani Lamona is organizing a Freedom Walk in honor of her brother Scott, a member of the U.S. Navy who died at the Pentagon.

In Bowling Green, Ohio, the terrorist attacks inspired longtime National Guardsman Chris McKinney to find his way to the Pentagon shortly after Sept. 11, 2001. Once there, he helped with rescue efforts. On Sept. 8, McKinney, his town's walk coordinator, will host a walk with the Bowling Green AM Rotary Club, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.

In Colorado Springs, the Beacon of Hope Outreach Center is organizing its second annual Freedom Walk at the Fort Carson Army post. Participants will include Cheryl McGuiness, wife of Tom McGuiness, the pilot of American Airlines Flight 11 that hit one of the World Trade Center towers; author, radio host and comedian Ken Davis; and best-selling author Stephan Mansfield. Country singers Aaron Lines, Tammy Cochran, and the Kory Brunson Band will perform.

Linder said a lot of eyes are still on Colton Lockner, 10, who organized a Freedom Walk for his town of Sebring, Ohio, last year that drew 2,001 of the town's nearly 5,000 residents. Lockner has organized Sebring's second walk this year and has enlisted the talents of 13-year-old Nashville Star winner Jesse Galchick to perform after the walk.

"We also have another stellar student, Joey Rizzolo, who is in Paramus, N.J., who also is expecting tons of people to come out to his walk," Linder said of the 13-year-old. "He's written a book for other students on how to host their own Freedom Walks."

While the national walk is shaping up to be the largest walk by numbers, Linder said Beacon of Hope Outreach Center's walk may just be the biggest local walk this year.

More information on the national America Supports You Freedom Walk, how to participate or how to register a local walk, is available on the America Supports You Freedom Walk Web site, www.americasupportsyou.com/freedomwalk/.

Freedom Walk Nears 200 Mark Nationwide

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Aug. 30, 2007 - In 46 states across the country, 188 groups are planning Freedom Walks to be held in conjunction with the national America Supports You Freedom Walk planned for Sept. 9 here. America Supports You is a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

As of Aug. 28, 3,200 people had registered to walk in this year's national Freedom Walk, part of a series of events commemorating the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

"All along we've been about 100-plus people (ahead of last year)," said Stephanie Linder, national Freedom Walk coordinator.

In addition to the 188 walks scheduled around the country, six are planned in overseas locations, Linder said. A group of Army wives in Schweinfurt, Germany, registered the first overseas walk.

The Navy Operational Support Center at Santa Rita, Guam, and the Al Asad Morale, Welfare and Recreation office in Iraq are organizing Freedom Walks, Linder added. So are the Vicenza Health Center in Vicenza, Italy, an MWR office in Kuwait, and schools in Yokosuka, Japan, and Seoul, South Korea.

Linder said she welcomes organizers to register their walks as late as Sept. 10.

"I know there are so many ... out there that people just haven't registered," she said. "We don't have a way of knowing about them unless they register."

The students of Zachary Elementary School in Zachary, La., made sure their walk was registered and for good reason. Not only will their walk commemorate and honor the lives lost on Sept. 11, they'll be saying "Thanks" to their principal, a Louisiana Army National Guardsman.

Capt. Patrick Jenkins has served as the school's principal for four years, though he's only been in the building for about a quarter of that time. In 2002, he served in Afghanistan. He was called back to active duty to assist in New Orleans during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Now he and his unit are preparing for an upcoming deployment to Iraq.

The walk will include the high school band, and Junior ROTC cadets will present the colors. Students will carry photos or names of those they wish to honor, said Ashley Singleton, a teacher at the school and one of the walk's organizers. Jenkins' daughter, a student at the school, will carry a photo of her father, she said.

Singleton said she has her own reasons for being passionate about the walk. Her husband is a soldier in the Inactive Ready Reserve who returned from Iraq just last month.

"I believe everything happens for a reason," she said. "Although his recall to active duty was hard, I feel it happened so that I can help others - especially young students - cope with deployment."

More than 15,000 walkers participated in the inaugural Freedom Walk on Sept. 11, 2005, to remember those who lost their lives and honor the nation's veterans. That walk began at the Pentagon and ended on the National Mall with a performance by country singer Clint Black.

The 2006 America Supports You Freedom Walk, which took place on Sept. 10, began on the National Mall with a brief opening program before walkers crossed the Potomac River, bound for the Pentagon. In addition to a patriotic program, beams of white light shone from the building's center courtyard honoring the people who lost their lives in the attack on the Pentagon.

This year's America Supports You Freedom Walk will be held on the morning of Sept. 9 and will look similar to its predecessors. Walkers will begin at the Lincoln Memorial and proceed to the Pentagon, where they will enjoy a patriotic program featuring the Harlem Gospel Choir and military musicians.

For those wishing to participate in the national America Supports You Freedom Walk, the deadline to register is 6 p.m. Sept. 7. Walkers can register through the America Supports You Freedom Walk Web site, www.americasupportsyou.mil/freedomwalk. The site also includes a link to registered walks around the country so visitors can locate walks near their communities. It also includes information on how people can organize a walk if none is yet scheduled in their area.

Freedom Walks Total 157 Nationwide

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Aug. 7, 2007 - Planning for the 2007 America Supports You Freedom Walk is well under way in the nation's capital as well as in 41 states across the country. The inaugural America Supports You Freedom Walk, created by Pentagon employees to commemorate the attack on the building and honor the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001, was held Sept. 11, 2005. America Supports You is a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

As of today, 1,231 people have registered for the national Freedom Walk, part of a series of events commemorating the Sept. 11 attacks.

"That's kind of ... on track (with last year,)" Stephanie Linder, the national Freedom Walk coordinator, said. She added that the number of walks scheduled across the country seems to be on a high-speed rail. Organizers have registered 157 registered Freedom Walks across the country so far. "As of last year at this time, we had ... 39 walks," she said.

A handful of those walks cover the Hampton Roads region in Virginia. "Eight cities -- Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach and Williamsburg -- all are hosting Freedom Walks," Linder said.

Students aren't to be outdone by their grown-up counterparts. One Texas school system is contributing to the number of walks registered. "Killeen Independent School District has 50 separate schools," Linder said. "Each school will have a Freedom Walk."

More students will learn about Freedom Walks in a couple of weeks when they return to school and get their first Weekly Reader issue of the year.

As the publication for students did last year, it has published a piece telling its readers how they, too, can organize Freedom Walks. Last year's article caught the eye of Sebring, Ohio's Colton Lockner, then 9, whose uncle had been deployed to Iraq.

When he asked his mom and his principal, they gave him the green light, thinking it would be a school event. Little did they suspect that he could rally nearly half of his town's 4,800 residents to participate.

Lockner, now 10, is featured in this year's Weekly Reader article, Linder said.

"The reason Colton was featured was because that's how he learned about Freedom Walk last year," she said. "It's kind of an encouragement (for other students). 'He did it, so can you,' basically is the message."

She hopes the article will create a surge of student- or school-organized walks.

More than 15,000 walkers participated in the 2005 inaugural walk to remember those who lost their lives and honor the nation's veterans. That walk began at the Pentagon and ended on the National Mall with a performance by country singer Clint Black.

The 2006 America Supports You Freedom Walk, which took place on Sept. 10, began on the National Mall with a brief opening program before walkers crossed the Potomac River bound for the Pentagon. In addition to a patriotic program featuring opera singer Denyse Graves, beams of white light shone from the building's center courtyard honoring the people who lost their lives when American Airlines Flight 77 was flown into the Pentagon.

This year's America Supports You Freedom Walk will be held on the morning of Sept. 9 and will look similar to its predecessors. Walkers will begin at the Lincoln Memorial and walk to the Pentagon, where, as in years past, they will enjoy a patriotic program.

Those interested in participating in the national walk can register through the America Supports You Freedom Walk Web site, www.americasupportsyou.mil/freedomwalk The site also helps people find Freedom Walks near their communities and provides information on how to organize Freedom Walks.

A list of registered walks and when they're taking place can be found on the Freedom Walk Web site.

Third Freedom Walk Continues New Tradition

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

June 20, 2007 – As the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks approaches, America Supports You is gearing up for its third annual Freedom Walk on Sept. 9 in the nation's capital. America Supports You is a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

The inaugural America Supports You Freedom Walk, created by Pentagon employees to commemorate the attack on the building and honor all the lives lost on 9/11, was held Sept. 11, 2005. Since then, the America Supports You Freedom Walk's message has remained consistent.

"The Freedom Walk continues to be our country's way to commemorate the lives lost on 9/11 -- to really embrace the families and let them know we haven't forgotten about their loss," said Allison Barber, deputy secretary of defense for internal communication and public liaison. "(It's also) to honor our veterans past and present and really recommit ourselves to freedom and what that means to each person on their own level."

Last year, Barber's hope was that a Freedom Walk would take place in every state. While there was at least one walk in each state, no two walks were exactly alike. And that, she said, is precisely the way it should be.

"I really want to communicate to people that Freedom Walks don't have to be complicated. They don't have to be expansive," she said.

In San Diego, the walk was conducted on an open course, and walkers could participate as their schedule allowed. Walkers in St. Louis all wore yellow T-shirts and formed a human "yellow ribbon" in centerfield at Busch Stadium.

The differences were evident right down to the organizers. America Supports You home-front groups organized most of the walks. However, in Sebring, Ohio, Colton Lockner, then 9, organized a walk for more than 2,000 of his town's nearly 5,000 residents.

It's already evident that this year's walks will be as varied as those in the past. In fact, Barber said, a shopping mall is planning a walk for people who walk the mall for exercise.

That's just one of the more than 80 walks in the works so far for this September's observance.

"I think it's important for the American people to know that whatever moment they create in their communities, their schools, their corporations ... is important, because it's all about remembering and honoring," Barber said.

More than 15,000 walkers participated in the 2005 inaugural walk to remember those who lost their lives and honor the nation's veterans. That walk began at the Pentagon and ended on the National Mall with a performance by country singer Clint Black.

The 2006 America Supports You Freedom Walk, which took place on Sept. 10, began on the National Mall with a brief opening program before walkers crossed the Potomac River bound for the Pentagon. In addition to a patriotic program featuring opera singer Denyse Graves, beams of white light shone from the building's center courtyard honoring the people who lost their lives when American Airlines Flight 77 was flown into the Pentagon.

This year's America Supports You Freedom Walk will be held on the morning of Sept. 9 and will look similar to its predecessors. Walkers will begin at the Lincoln Memorial and walk to the Pentagon, where, as in years past, they will enjoy a patriotic program.

Those interested in participating in the national walk can register through the America Supports You Freedom Walk Web site, www.americasupportsyou.mil/freedomwalk. The site also helps people find Freedom Walks near their communities, and provides information on how to organize a Freedom Walk.

Freedom Walks Will Be Held Across the Nation

By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service

April 19, 2007 – Thousands of school children, community leaders, church members and volunteers throughout the nation are preparing to remember those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001, and to honor military veterans past and present. In cities, schoolrooms, church halls and community centers, they're respectfully organizing plans and identifying routes for their 2007 America Supports You Freedom Walks.

"America Supports You Freedom Walks have become a new national tradition," said Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs. "It is important for people to participate so we never forget what happened to our country and citizens on 9/11."

During the first Freedom Walk the Department of Defense initiated in 2005, about 10,000 people came together to walk from the Pentagon to the National Mall.

The Freedom Walk was launched as part of the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program, set up in November 2004 to directly connect military members to the support of the America people. As the program developed, Barber said, it became a tool to help the general public find meaningful ways to support the military community.

Today, more than 250 "homefront" nonprofit support groups and numerous corporations have joined the ASY team to provide countless forms of support to those on the frontlines of the war on terrorism. A complete list of these groups is available at www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil.

Just as the "America Support You" program attracted volunteers, the Freedom Walk concept also resonated with Americans who wanted to physically show their support. Many contacted the ASY program expressing their desire to host their own walks.

The response to the first Freedom Walk proved to be so strong, Barber said, particularly among families who called it a healing experience, that defense officials recognized the importance of extending its reach.

"We knew that we had to share the Freedom Walk with more than Washington, D.C.," she said. "And that is why in 2006, on the fifth anniversary of the attacks, we extended the invitation to fellow Americans so they could participate, too."

Defense officials began offering planning guides and information for community leaders who wanted to plan their own Freedom Walks. On the weekend of Sept. 11, 2006, about 15,000 people gathered for the second Freedom Walk in the nation's capital. Several thousand people participated in more than 130 walks in cities and towns in all 50 states.

Communities, volunteer groups and schools had organized their own Freedom Walks, each with its own unique concept. Many had military or community speakers, honor guards, guest vocalists, troop letter-writing opportunities and wreath-laying ceremonies. Most participants came out to the events dressed in patriotic colors or carrying flags and banners.

"The Freedom Walk was integrated into history lessons and provided a way for teachers to explain the attacks on our country while also facilitating an activity that resulted in unity and patriotism within the school body," Barber said.

This year, more than 130 communities have already pledged to participate in Freedom Walks. Defense Department organizers said they hope to get more than 300 cities to take part in the national commemoration, and now is the time for organizations to begin choosing locations and walk routes, contacting potential speakers and planning special events.

One example is College Gate Elementary School in Anchorage, Alaska.

Last year, the school commemorated the 9/11 anniversary with walkers silently circling the school five times, a lap for each year that had passed since the attacks. The students then headed back inside to write an essay about what freedom meant to them. They sent the essays to troops serving in Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.

This year, school leaders are planning to ask a kindergartener whose father is soon deploying to Iraq to assist in planting a "Freedom Tree" in honor of all the men and women serving the nation in uniform.

The Freedom Walks aren't fundraisers or rallies, Barber stressed. They are expressions of respect and remembrance, and they have the same impact on communities and businesses as they do on schools.

More than 2,000 people turned out in Sebring, Ohio, last year to attend a Freedom Walk, for example. Nine-year-old Colton Lockner decided to organize the event after reading about it in his Weekly Reader.

"We are not on the Mall in Washington or on Times Square in New York City," John Smith, Sebring's mayor, said during his welcome to the crowd. "We are gathered here in a small village in northeast Ohio. We would not be here today if it weren't for a 9-year-old boy who had a desire to recognize those whose lives were lost five years ago today and those serving today to keep our freedom alive."

Lockner, now age 10, has already started planning this year's walk by sending out letters and e-mails asking for support.

"Every organization, business, church or school can organize or participate in a local Freedom Walk or the national Freedom Walk in Washington, D.C.," Barber said. "Information is available on the web at www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil."

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