| Operation Bank | |
Dateline: 09/21/97
Chapters of the Special Forces Association will
participate in a coast-to-coast walking marathon Oct. 5 through Dec. 12, 1997. They plan
to earn a place in the Guiness Book of Records while honoring Colonel (Retired) Aaron
Bank, Father of the Special Forces, and benefiting the Special Forces Branch Museum.
Veteran U.S. Army Retired and Active Duty Special Forces (aka Green Berets) and their supporters and friends will participate. The Operation Bank walk is a non-political coast to coast marathon. Special Forces chapters and volunteers will walk the most direct route from California to North Carolina.
The history of Special Forces is
significant with a heritage which includes Francis Marion (the "Swamp Fox"),
Mosebys Rangers, the First Special Service Force (aka The Devil's Brigade), the Office of
Strategic Services (OSS), Merrills Marauders, and Darby's Rangers. During the Korean War,
the Rangers were revived with the formation of eight ranger companies, two of which were
attached to the 187th Regimental Combat Team for the combat jump at Munsan-Ni, Korea. The
U.S. Army Special Forces came into its own on June 20, 1952 when the original 10th Special
Forces Group, commanded by Colonel Aaron Bank was activated at Fort Bragg, NC. Colonel
Bank, a highly regarded veteran of the OSS is still active in his 90's as the Honorary
Colonel of the 1st Special Forces Regiment.
Eighteen of the stateside chapters of the Special Forces Association will honor Colonel Bank with the "Operation Bank" coast-to-coast marathon walk from Los Angeles, CA to Wilmington, NC. This is a walk of honor for health, heritage and hope with benefits to the JFK Special Warfare Special Forces Branch Historical and Memorial Museum.
Interested walkers may call Special Forces Association Chapters: Arkansas 501-262-1122, Dallas Texas 214-979-0021, San Antonio 210-426-5459.
Sargeant Major John Murdock, ex-POW, writes, "It is our privilege to conduct this historic walk of honor, heritage, hope and health. As soldiers with some help from our active teammates, our goal is to earn funds to complete phase I construction of our museum with sweat, instead of using professional fund raisers or accepting special grants."
General Walk Plan:
Day 1 depart the Newport Beach pier area and march to the area of Foothill Blvd. and
Garey Ave. in north Pomona. Stay here possibly at the Pomona fair grounds or a local park.
Day 2 depart at 0600 hours and march east bound on foothill Blvd., then northeast adjacent
to interstate 15 to an area called Devore. This is at the base of the Cajon Pass. Stay
there.
Day 3 depart at 0600 and begin the 7 to 10 climb up the Cajon Pass, which raises in
elevation at about 3000 feet in that distance. Will be in the High Desert area of
Hesperia. March to the area of Stoddard Well and stay there.
Day 4 depart this site at 0600 hours and march until about 1000 hours and break until 1400
hours or maybe 1500 hours and then take off again marching until about 1800 hours and stay
at Pisgah Crater.
Day 5 depart this site at 0600 hours and march until about 1000 hours and break until 1400
hours or maybe 1500 hours and then take off again marching until about 1800 hours and stay
at Chambless.
Day 6 depart this site at 0600 hours, march to a point east of Java Junction. This is just
west of Needles, CA where the old Route 66 meets Interstate 15. May go all the way into
Needles depending on how everyone is holding up.
Day 7 depart this site at 0600 hours and march to the state line. Stay there and just have
a ceremony for changing of the colors and then party for the remainder of the day and
evening with our brothers from Chapter 12 of Arizona. Colonel Bank is scheduled to be
present to participate in our start and also at the changing of the colors with Arizona.
Needles to Flagstaff 210 miles, 5 days
Flagstaff to Gallup 189 miles, 5 days
Gallup to Albuquerque 139 miles, 4 days
Albuquerque to Amarillo 287 miles, 7 days
Texas details:
- Thursday, Oct. 30: Depart state line (Glenrio)
- Thursday, Oct. 30: Vega
- Friday, Oct. 31: East of Amarillo, junction I-40/287, go to state park.
- Saturday, Nov. 1: Junction I-40/70.
- Sunday, Nov. 2: Shamrock
- Monday, Nov. 3: Texas/Oklahoma border, pass colors and baton, go to Oklahoma.
Amarillo to Okla. City 259 miles, 6-7 days
Okla. City to Ft. Smith, AR 180 miles, 4-5 days
Ft. Smith to Little Rock, AR 160 miles, 4 days.
Little Rock to Memphis 137 miles, 3-4 days
Memphis to Nashville 210 miles, 5 days
Nashville to Knoxville 178 miles, 4-5 days
Knoxville to Ashville 115 miles, 3 days
Ashville to Charlotte 125 miles, 3 days
Charlotte to Wilmington 204 miles, 5 days
Best wishes to the walkers, and we hope to have updates from them as they cross the nation!
