by Bob Fanning
My son Rory, a 2001 Notre Dame graduate and former Army Ranger in the 75th Ranger Regiment is walking across the United States to raise awareness of the Pat Tillman Foundation. http://walkforpat.org/
Your encouragement,support and prayers are requested.
Rory will have his solar powered laptop with him and would love to hear from you on his blog as he walks alone from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific ocean.
Rory and his friend Pat Tillman served together in the 75th Ranger Regiment.
SI.com - Magazine - Pat Tillman: Remember His Name - Tuesday September 5, 2006 5:46PM
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/magazine/09/05/tillman0911/
All my children , Rory, Heather and Ryan were raised to pursue something in life greater than themselves.
This is the raw material of honor.
All my children were raised to see the world by putting themselves in the other persons place.
This is the raw material of empathy.
They were taught to "do the next right thing one day at a time and leave the results up to God" .
So, when America was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001 my son Rory who had just graduated from the University of Notre Dame, was moved by how those 3,000 families were torn apart by those horrific acts.Rory saw that there were people like his mom Lynn, that couldn't defend themselves from the monsters of Islamic extremism, so he took action to defend those who couldn't defend themselves.
Rory immediately enlisted with the intent of becoming an Army Ranger in the unique & elite 75th Ranger Regiment, the same outfit that we saw in the movie "Black Hawk Down" whose specialty is rapid air assault.
Rory wears a tattoo on his left shoulder , a diamond in blue and gold that says "Rangers" . That was the patch that 225 Rangers in the Second Regiment , "the boys of Pointe Du Hoc" wore as they scaled the cliffs on June 6, 1944. All of Rory's comrades are with him wherever he travels. All of Rory's fellow Rangers know about the pursuit of something greater than themselves.
http://www.reaganlibrary.com/reagan/speeches/dday_pdh.asp
It was in Ranger school and later in Ranger leadership School where both Rory and Pat and Kevin Tillman became close friends as they trained to become ' fire team leaders'. It turned out that Pat and Kevin Tillman were just like him, there to defend those who couldn't defend themselves.
Rory was profoundly moved when he lost his friend Pat Tillman.
Rory is committed that his friend Pat Tillman's name will never be forgotten.
He is walking across America for the Pat Tillman Foundation for leadership because; "Rangers lead the way"
Robert T Fanning Jr.
P.O. Box 7 Pray, Montana 59065
Phone 406-333-4121
E-mail: rtfanning@worldnet.att.net
Man walks cross country in honor of fallen Army Ranger
Posted: Sep 17, 2008
PORTSMOUTH, VA. (WAVY.com) -- You can fly coast to coast in about six hours, you can drive it in less than a week - or, you can do like one Chicago man and walk from Virginia Beach to the California Coast in four months.
WAVY News 10 Photojournalist Art Kohn tells us this is more than a power walk. It's a journey for a fallen Army Ranger.
31-year old Rory Fanning, a former Army Ranger from Chicago is walking from Virginia Beach to Huntington Beach, California - more than 3-Thousand miles - on foot.
"In terms of steps, 7-million steps," Fanning explained.
It'll be rough, but Fanning is thinking less about the distance and more about his fellow soldier and fallen comrade Pat Tillman.
Tillman gave up a lucrative NFL career to join the War on Terror in Afghanistan where he was killed by friendly fire in April of 2004. Fanning says he's honoring Tillman's sacrifice with this walk across country.
"He was just an amazing human being. Every conversation you had with him he was very focused on you. Very interested in what was going on with you; in spite of his fame, his very public sacrifice," said Fanning.
With this nationwide trek, Fanning hopes to raise money to benefit the Pat Tillman Foundation for young leaders.
"I would like to raise about $100-thousand for the Pat Tillman Foundation, if possible. You can go to my website walkforpat.org. And also see the country. Get to know the country."
The country for which Pat Tillman made the ultimate sacrifice.
"Pat sacrificed his life, his family, and an amazing job for freedom. And I just want everybody to use that freedom."
It will cost Fanning four months of his freedom to finish this walk. His family had some reservations about his making the trip on foot, alone.
He says they asked why he was going alone; his reply, "Because, who would go with me?"
Somehow, it seems unlikely he is completely alone, considering the amazing spirit of his friend Pat Tillman.