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My story begins 60 years ago on a beautiful June morning at 6:30 a.m. Two young men meeting to go running around the lake. The fall cross country season was not that far off, and it was time to start training. Usually this consisted of running around the lake twice per day. This is how my friendship began with Shannon. We both put in the time, but he became a lettering athlete for Albert Lea. I decided going to work and making money was a better route for me.

Shannon was obsessed with going into the Marine Corp as soon as he graduated in 1968. His parents had both been in the Marines, and he was indoctrinated early in his life. The summer of 1968 Shannon went to Marine bootcamp. He then entered the Advanced Infantry Airborne and Marine Corp Reconnaissance School. He served two tours in Vietnam and received two Purple Hearts, once while repelling out of a Huey helicopter. He was lucky to have survived Vietnam.

I had also been in the Army, and it was good to reconnect and catch up when Shannon returned from overseas. Not long after, he was married and moved to Kiamath Falls. There, he became a smoke jumper. He enjoyed the adrenaline of fighting forest fires. They parachute in and attack the fire from inside. Sounds like a crazy job to me. We pretty much went our separate ways as friends living our own lives.

In the fall of 2000 I heard that one of my best friends had passed away from brain cancer. Agent Orange had taken another Vietnam soldier. Shannon McCoul was a hero to me for the sacrifice he chose at a very young age. These choices were made by many young men and women at this time. Many were drafted and also did their duty to serve our country.

I think of my friend often. I do Honor Guard for our veterans. They are all heroes in some way and special to all of us for their contributions.

June mornings at 6:30 a.m. are still special to me, and I am reminded of this when I see the young people starting their own run.

It is an honor to be part of the Honor Guard. We do it for our heroes.

Craig Loehr
Honor Guard
American Legion Post 56