Page 18 - Qaranc Spring 2014

16 QARANC THE GAZETTE
The Flying Nightingales Marine Corps Marathon
On Thursday 24 October 2013, the Flying Nightingales flew out to Washington DC to run the 38th Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) with the charity Allied Forces Foundation (AFF). The team was made up of eight Defence Medical personnel and 2 infanteers from 2 YORKS across the ranks from Lt Col to Cpl. The Cols Carl Meyer and James Ralph and 2Lt Jane Keenan were old hands at running marathons whilst Maj Liz Hughes, Cpls Beth Morgan and Steph Reed had done one before leaving Capt Williamson Green, Sgt Horner and Cpl Mace to pop their marathon cherry!
The Flying Nightingales came about due to Major Liz Hughes deploying on Op HERRICK 12 where she and many of the team treated casualties from 29 Search Group. Their RSM WO1 Stuart Taylor spent hours in the hospital ensuring his “lads” were ok and on return to the UK moved to America and became a director of the AFF. AFF is a British-American foundation aiming to raise funds for Allied comrades wounded in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts whilst raising awareness of the on-going challenges faced by injured service personnel and their families. Stuart invited me to organise a team of medics to run the MCM with some of his “lads” we had
treated back in 2010. Having gained approval the hard work began advertising, team picking, finding injured soldiers keen to run a marathon, seeking approval from COs and finding sponsorship!
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Charity Birmingham was approached and Justine Davy kindly agreed to sponsor our flights and race bibs in return for raising £10,000 for The Military Patient’s Fund and Fisher House UK. Training, raising money, organising flights, diplomatic clearance, Sports Lottery sponsorship etc all became priority over the summer. As October arrived 3 injured soldiers pulled out leaving just Sgt “Jack” Horner of 2 YORKS who persuaded Cpl Steven Mace to join us just 3 weeks before the race! Both sadly due for medical discharge after 16 years of service; the MCM gave them the opportunity to be involved in something unique that recognised their commitment to the Army. Sgt Horner arrived in Washington DC with his pacing stick only to be amazed at our marching drills and from start to finish kept us laughing.
Arriving in Washington DC to be met by “Gunny” (US Marine with the obligatory high and tight hair cut!) we were accommodated at Quantico US Marine Base alongside other