Scott honors fallen with Veterans Day Vigil Run Published Nov. 7, 2012 By Airman 1st Class Jake Eckhardt 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- More than 700 members of Scott AFB ran 134 miles in a 24-hour relay during the annual Veteran's Day Vigil Run honoring fallen servicemembers, Nov. 2-3. The event honored Army Spc. William Dusenbery of Fairview Heights, Ill. and Master Sgt. Thomas Crowell of Neosho, Mo. The parents of the fallen members were on hand for the event to light the vigil candle and observe the opening dedication to their sons. "This is all about honoring all past and present veterans," said Master Sgt. Jennifer Sampson, Air Mobility Command and event organizer. "It lets the families know that we haven't forgotten." Dusenbury was 29 when he joined the Army in December 2001. After Basic Training he went to advanced training in helicopter maintenance at Fort Eustis, Va., where he trained as a mechanic on the Black Hawk helicopter's engine and propulsion system. "His dream was to fly the Black Hawks, but he was told he was too old to enroll in flight school at the time of his enlistment," Dusenbury's father said. He told his recruiter that if he couldn't fly Black Hawks, then he wanted to at least fix them. He was a member of the 101st Airborne Division stationed at Fort Campbell, Ky. He died Nov. 15, 2003 in a plane collision in Mosul, Iraq. Crowell was killed when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device near Balad Air Base, Iraq Nov. 1, 2007. He was assigned to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Detachment 301, Scott AFB. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal and the Air Force Combat Action Medal. Crowell is survived by his wife, Carol, two sons, Eric and Ian, and his mother, Peggy. Peggy Whipp, mother of one of the fallen, said, "It is really something that events like this are put on. It's good to know that they are never forgotten." The Dorm Council and First Four also read 1750 names of fallen veterans throughout all of the conflicts, from the founding of our nation. This is Team Scott's contribution to the reading of 1.2 million names to be read across the nation, a Veterans Service Project organized by "The Fight Continues." "I don't even have the words to describe how it feels to be able to help out with an event like this," Sampson said. "This is just one of the ways we can give back."