Nurse cherishes experience of Marine Corps Marathon Published Nov. 20, 2010 By Steve Pivnick 81st Medical Group Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Kristin Reed almost met her goal of finishing the Oct. 31 Marine Corps Marathon in four hours, 30 minutes. Reed, one of almost 22,000 runners, finished the Washington, D.C. event in 4:38. Reflecting on her participation, Reed, a nurse in the 81st Inpatient Operations Squadron, said, "The experience put meaning to the words 'sacrifices of war.' I ran past a Marine in a wheelchair who was a doubleleg amputee. Four of his buddies ran with him in full uniform -- one on each corner -- carrying rucksacks. Two of them carried the young man's prosthetic legs on top of their rucks. It reminded me why I became a member of the Air Force Nurse Corps -- to take care of my brothers and sisters out there taking care of me. "I also ran past three gentlemen carrying flags -- the American flag, the Marine flag and the POW flag," Reed continued. "It made me want to run in support of something or to raise money for a meaningful organization. Up to this point, I've only run for myself, never to represent someone else. As I ran, I heard one gentleman yell out to another, then I saw them embrace. I'm certain I witnessed the reunion of two long-lost friends. They continued to run side-by-side while chatting as though they had much to catch up on. "As an added bonus, all of this took place in our nation's capital," she added. "Washington D.C. is beautiful, and the monuments symbolize where we've been as a country and where we continue to progress and grow together."