Missouri Guardsman marches to honor friend's memory

By Jennifer Archdekin
Ngmo.pao@US.ARMY.MIL

KANSAS CITY - The death of a close friend five years ago was a call to action for one Missouri National Guard Soldier.

Maj. Gerald Green, of Leavenworth, Kan., said the death of his friend Dave Leggett changed his perspective on life. Leggett was diagnosed with colon and liver cancer in 2004 and died 10 months later. Before losing Leggett, Green said he always heard other people talk about the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, but never felt moved to do more than donate money.

"I would donate money, but I never donated my time or gave any effort to participate," said Green. "I was always an outsider, watching the participants."

Every year since Leggett's death, family and friends join in his honor with of Relay for Life to help raise money for cancer research and cancer patients, while remembering their loved one.

At this year's event in Nixa, Green stepped up his involvement on a personal level by completing a 50 mile ruck march. He set out to finish 200 laps, running more than four of the nine hours it took for him to complete it. In 2007 he accomplished 40 miles during the fundraiser.

"Basically I ran a marathon and then walked the rest of the time with at least a 40 pound ruck sack on my back," said Green. "Dave would probably laugh at me for doing 50 miles. He'd say, 'What were you thinking?' But Dave would do the same thing for me."

During the relay, teams set up campsites around the track. Green says that each year they have a military theme. For the past five years, Green has participated in three events, only missing it while being deployed to Iraq and later to Kosovo.

Relay for Life starts in the evening and runs through the night, during which Green gave it his all for his friend's memory.

"The last 10 laps were the hardest," said Green. "I was just beat down. But then my 13-year-old daughter came out to me and said 'I'll walk the last 10 laps with you, Dad.'"

Green persevered.

"The military helps us maintain our physical fitness to the level a good Soldier should be at," said Green. "But knowing cancer is a 24 hour a day battle and knowing what cancer patients have to go through kept me going. His memory kept me going the whole time."

While Leggett underwent chemotherapy he started to lose his hair. Green, along with 14 fellow friends, assembled at his house to shave their heads to show their support.

"We told Dave that it sucks for him to have to go through this, so we were going to go through it with him," said Green. "We then put our names in a hat and drew who would shave Dave's head and I got the honor."

Since Leggett was a Cincinnati Reds fan, Green took the opportunity to have a little fun while grooming his buddy by shaving a 'C' in his head to represent his favorite baseball team.

"The most touching thing that happened that day was when Dave's sons came in and asked to shave their heads, too," said Green. "It was a room full of grown men and there wasn't a dry eye in the bunch."

Green recognizes that his friend, along with all cancer patients have a heavy battle to fight. To this day he still remembers the constant pain Leggett endured.

"What I did was minimal compared to what I saw Dave go through," said Green. "I ran and walked 50 miles-big deal. People have to battle cancer every day. I don't want to highlight what I did because I lost a close friend. I don't hate anybody or anything, but I hate cancer."

Green's team raised almost $1,500 for Relay for Life this year, with $500 coming from his personal fundraising efforts.

Green recently left his position as the administrative officer for the 1/138th Infantry Regiment in Kansas City to attend fulltime the United States Army School of Advanced Military Studies at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

For more information about the Missouri National Guard, please call 1-800-GoGuard or visit www.moguard.com.

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For more information about this release, please contact Jennifer Archdekin at 816-262-2893 or e-mail at jarchdekin@gmail.com.