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Kingsland-area residents, from left, Shawn McDaniel, Joshua Shirley and Dave Oxford marched 13 miles from Kingsland to Marble Falls Sept. 3 to make a statement about the 13 members of the armed forces who were killed recently in a suicide bombing attack in Afghanistan. Photos by Connie Swinney/The Highlander -
Granite Shoals and Marble Falls provided escorts for the group when they entered their city limits during the march on Sept. 3. -
March organizer Joshua Shirley carried the flag at half staff which was adorned with 13 yellow ribbons symbolizing 11 marines, one soldier and a Navy corpsman.. -
From left: Dave Oxford, Joshua Shirley and Shawn McDaniel ended their 13-mile march from Kingsland to Marble Falls near the intersection of RR 1431 and US 281 on Friday, Sept. 3..
At the end of the 13-mile march, 60-year-old U.S. Army veteran Dave Oxford described his effort as taxing but worth the message he and two others sent to the community, families of fallen service members and veterans.
“Oh mercy, it was rough. What was the heat index today, 100 degrees, plus the humidity,” he said. “(The experience) renewed my belief in America. People were really going out of their way to show they supported us.”
Thirty-one-year-old Air Force veteran Joshua Shirley agreed, “We had tremendous support.”
Oxford, Shirley and fellow Kingsland resident Shawn McDaniel launched their march, holding three flags at 6:30 a.m. Sept. 3 at the intersection of RR 1431 and RM 2900 in Kingsland. They completed their trek on foot around 11 a.m. near the intersection of RR 1431 and U.S. 281 in Marble Falls.
The distance symbolized 13 members of the armed forces —11 marines, one soldier and a Navy corpsman— killed Aug. 26 during a suicide bombing.
National reports stated that the 13 U.S. service members were among 100 deaths Aug. 26 killed by the terrorist as people were trying to evacuate the country outside of the Hamid Karzai International Airport.
But it was more than the dire circumstances of the cause but the strength and resolve of the local men which captured the attention of motorists who noticed them on their trek.
“People were pulling over, offering us water,” Oxford added. “Everybody was saying, ‘God bless you’. It was wholehearted.”
Shirley carried a flag on a pole at half staff with 13 yellow ribbons affixed to the top portion of the pole.
“I want those families to know that someone in a small town in Texas, we’ve got your back,” Shirley said. “We love your family. We’re here for you.”
Oxford described his flag as a symbol of “distress.”
“We’re under distress right now,” Oxford said. “The reason this flag is upside down is because we abandoned Americans on foreign soil.”
Shirley added, “Our country needs this right now. Our voices need to be heard. We need to make a difference in this area. We need to stand up and come together as one.”
During the march Granite Shoals Police Department offered a vehicle escort behind and in front of the group as they walked in the eastbound lane. A Marble Falls Police Department escort picked up the group in that city limits.
McDaniel, who is 55 years old, looked exhausted but content that he had participated.
“I’m not a veteran, but I’m here to show my support for veterans, show solidarity with my brothers,” he said. “I want to show that not only veterans can do this but all citizens. They stood for us, and now we need to stand for them.”
Oxford added, “I’m hoping it will open people’s eyes. I hope it will show the military and veterans that we still do care. They are not forgotten.”