Angie Burd and members of her family will lead the way on Saturday as a group of motorcyclists embarks on a patriotic ride from Hempfield to Derry Borough.
They will be at the forefront of the sixth annual Fallen Hero Ride, an occasion that will honor their uncle, Derry-born Sgt. 1st Class Earl Fillmore and two other Pennsylvania Infantrymen killed in action on October 3, 1993 in Mogadishu, Somalia.
Burd, who retired from the Army in 2021 as a sergeant major, was encouraged to sign up for the military through her uncle.
“I think it’s just amazing that after 30 years, there are still so many organizations and network members that need to honor our fallen heroes and keep their memory alive,” said Burd, who lives near Latrobe. “This continues means a lot to me. He never dies. »
Tony Aubrey is a member of the Monroeville-based volunteer organization Operation Vet NOW, which coordinates annual trips that start and end at the Z dealership
When the 30th anniversary of the Battle of Mogadishu rolled around last October, Aubrey knew the next armory would have to be committed to the three Pennsylvanians who were among those who gave their lives in the project described in the “Black Hawk Down” e-book and film.
“The occasion is open to all members of the network and is an opportunity to receive more information on how to help veterans and honor service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom,” Aubrey said.
This year’s occasion offers a new opportunity for those who need to show off their skills and are not yet riding. Operation Vet NOW has organized a Mogadishu Mile Memorial Walk that will begin at 11 a. m. m. in the parking lot of Derry Community Park and will travel 4 blocks of the district.
Walkers will return to the park, where cyclists are expected to arrive around 11:30 a. m. m. for a rite at the Fillmore Monument.
Burd will ride with her husband, Aaron, on one of the motorcycles, while her daughter, Gabi, 19, will be a passenger on an American Legion Rider. The trip will also feature two Derry residents: Burd’s uncle, Al Schmucker, and his passenger and sister-in-law, Mary Vallorani, one of Fillmore’s six older sisters.
Sharon Schmucker, Al’s wife and Fillmore’s brother, had planned to renovate the decorations on her brother’s memorial in time for Saturday’s event.
“I think it’s going to be beautiful,” he said of the ceremony. “I’m waiting in anticipation. It’s going to be emotional, I know.
“A lot of our friends will be there and a lot of them will walk a mile. We look at the gathering of other people and commemorate those three. Of course, we will think of all the other families and their deceased children. »
Fillmore, 28; Corporal Richard W. Kowalewski, 20, of Crucible, Greene County; and Sergeant Randall D. Shughart, 35, first class, of Newville, Cumberland County, among the 18 U. S. servicemen killed in the Battle of Mogadishu.
After serving in Saudi Arabia’s Operation Desert Shield, Fillmore was assigned as an Army medic with Task Force Ranger when he was killed in Mogadishu. He was among the Rangers struggling to succeed at the crash site of a downed Black Hawk helicopter.
Fillmore’s posthumous military awards include the Silver Star, for outstanding bravery, and, popularly for ordinary heroism, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Army’s second-highest decoration.
Kowalewski was also killed when his convoy attacked while seeking to rescue team members from a downed helicopter. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his bravery.
Shughart is mortally wounded while offering protective fire to the downed crew. He won the Medal of Honor.
“Mogadishu Mile” refers to a direction taken by Army Rangers and Special Forces infantrymen from the helicopter crash site to a stopping point.
“We hope that the neighboring network will participate in the march,” Aubrey said. “The ride costs nothing. Children under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.
Registration for the hike or hike can be done in advance, in the “Events” segment in opvetnow. org, or on Saturday, from 8:30 to 10 a. m. for the hike and from 10 a. m. for the walk. The payment for the trip costs $30 per bike.
From 10:30 a. m. to 2:30 p. m. , a veterans’ village on Z Street
“When we started, we had five organizations,” Aubrey said. Now we have more than 50. “
These organizations align with Operation Vet NOW’s project of connecting veterans to systems and aim to improve their physical and intellectual well-being.
According to Aubrey, veteran suicide awareness and prevention is one of the group’s top concerns.
“It is because of the large number of veterans who suffer invisible injuries that they brought home or later suffered, and the high rates of suicide among veterans, that Operation Veteran NOW was created,” he said.
Among those expected to speak on Saturday’s occasion is Army Col. Mike Blahovec of Greensburg. His assignments included a one-year deployment to provide security for convoys and roads and oversee all detention operations in Iraq.
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