WEBVTT

00:00.240 --> 00:03.280
it's like all marathons . This run was

00:03.290 --> 00:06.010
almost 26 a half miles . However , this

00:06.010 --> 00:08.066
wasn't an ordinary race every year .

00:08.066 --> 00:10.288
This marathon brings together the local

00:10.288 --> 00:12.177
community with service members on

00:12.177 --> 00:13.899
island . I think it helps in a

00:13.899 --> 00:15.510
significant way . This is an

00:15.510 --> 00:17.870
opportunity for the Okinawans to run

00:17.870 --> 00:20.450
onto our base to see the base to see

00:20.450 --> 00:22.672
the friendly americans cheering them on

00:22.840 --> 00:25.110
and it just brings us a little closer

00:25.110 --> 00:27.210
in , not only a relationship but in

00:27.210 --> 00:29.840
friendship . It's a statement that

00:29.840 --> 00:31.710
we're a community that we have a

00:31.710 --> 00:33.599
partnership and that we are truly

00:33.599 --> 00:35.432
friends . Service members in the

00:35.432 --> 00:37.654
Okinawan community also joined together

00:37.654 --> 00:39.488
to make sure the runners were as

00:39.488 --> 00:41.821
comfortable as possible . It was smiles ,

00:41.821 --> 00:44.043
it was high fives as I went past them .

00:44.043 --> 00:46.099
I never thought running a marathon I

00:46.099 --> 00:48.266
would get full , but I was so well fed

00:48.266 --> 00:50.432
on the route . I think I gained weight

00:50.432 --> 00:52.488
running this marathon because of the

00:52.488 --> 00:54.210
kindness extended by the local

00:54.210 --> 00:56.321
community lining the roads . It was a

00:56.321 --> 00:58.266
blast airman . First class William

00:58.266 --> 01:00.270
Branch Okinawa Japan