Marines Make 60-Mile Trek to Camp Pendleton to Honor Fallen, Disabled Veterans

A group of Marines this week conducted a 55-mile relay run starting at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and heading up the coast.

The event culminated with a 5-mile hike, ending at the graduation ceremony for Fox Company, Marine Combat Training, School of Infantry West at Camp Pendleton.

The event was spearheaded by Capt. Tyler Chittick, a KC-130J pilot and Marine of 16 years. He has run three other ultra-marathon events, all in support of Marine veteran Sgt. Milan Franklin, who lost his legs after an improvised explosive device attack in Afghanistan in 2011.

Each year, Chittick brings Marines together to complete a challenging activity in honor of fallen and disabled veterans. This year they came from Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 352, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.

Upon completion of the hike, Chittick presented the VMGR-352 and U.S. Marine Corps flag to
the Fox Company honor graduate.

“I want to bring the young, enlisted Marines back to where they came up in the Marine Corps,”
Chittick said. “That’s where they started their journey and we get to embrace this experience
together where it all began.”

Chittick’s first run was in 2012 as a sergeant; he and his team ran from Camp Pendleton to
Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twenty-nine Palms where he handed a flag to Franklin in honor of his service and sacrifice.

“I’m not creating anything; this isn’t a new idea. People go on long runs to honor other people
all the time, so I thought let’s run a flag from Camp Pendleton to Twenty-nine Palms to honor
Milan,” Chittick said. “When we arrived, all I could say was ‘Thank you for being here. Thank you for coming home. Thank you for bringing Marines home.’”

This year’s iteration began at MCAS Miramar where Marines departed VMGR-352’s hangar at 5:15 a.m. Thursday and headed north with check points in La Jolla, Cardiff, Carlsbad and Oceanside.

Upon reaching Camp Pendleton, they all met at the Onofre Hill trailhead where they changed into their Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform and hiked the remainder of the 60 miles to the graduation.