Larry Mosely of Tuscola, whose son Larry Mosely Jr. served at Southworth, ran additional laps throughout the morning to remember other Illinois soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“My son came back. A lot of other guys didn’t come back,” Mosely said between rounds at the Linder Sports Complex in Charleston. “I spend all day honoring the sacrifice of those men.”

The Illinois Run for the Fallen, which has been held in Charleston since its inception 15 years ago, pays tribute to the more than 255 Illinois military personnel who have lost their lives in the global war on terror. Participants this year ran a total of 608 miles in remembrance of the fallen.

Those soldiers include 26-year-old Southworth, who was killed in Afghanistan on February 8, 2009, while serving with the Illinois National Guard, and 20-year-old Lance Cpl. Drew Uhles of Du Quoin, who was killed in Iraq on September 15, 2004, while serving with the U.S. Marines.

Uhles’ parents, Dan and Marla of Du Quoin, and his brother Sean of Aurora were among those participating in this year’s Run for the Fallen. Marla Uhles said she and her Gold Star family have participated in each of these annual memorial events for the second year to honor her son and the other fallen.

“I find it encouraging to see so many people and so many young people here,” said Marla Uhles.

Among the young people in attendance were athletes from Eastern Illinois University and Charleston High School teams, as well as the a cappella singers from CHS Maximum Forte after they sang the “National Anthem.” Other young people accompanied their families on the run.

Five-year-old Kady Comstock of Charleston rode a bike with training wheels alongside her mother, Krissy, as they made their way around the paved trails at the Linder Sports Complex.

Krissy Comstock mentioned that her husband, William Comstock IV, serves in the U.S. Army and that they try to participate in the Illinois Run for the Fallen every year.

“I just love doing this,” said Krissy Comstock. “It’s important. We need to remember those who have died.”

Each participant in the Illinois Run for the Fallen receives a card with a portrait photo and biographical information of the Soldier he or she requested or was assigned to.

For example, the card for Sergeant Joshua Rodgers, 22, of Bloomington, shows that he was killed in action in Afghanistan on April 27, 2017, while serving with Company C, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment.

“Joshua’s family said he was a man of few words, but when he spoke, people listened. He led by example, he was always there when you needed him, and he was an inspiration to all who knew him,” Rodgers’ biography states.

Johnny Butler of Warsaw, Indiana, a participant in the Indiana Run for the Fallen, was one of the newcomers to the Charleston event on Saturday. Butler said he has been participating in the Illinois run virtually since 2020 and decided to try it out in person this year.

While the Illinois run takes place in a single location, the Indiana run travels from Fort Wayne to Indianapolis each year, according to Butler. Butler said he participates each year in memory of his high school track coach’s son, Marine Lance Cpl. David Fribley, who was killed in combat in Iraq on March 23, 2003.

“I’ve known their family since I was in high school (in Atwood, Indiana). Losing David was such a hard blow to the community,” Butler said.