Today our walk was dedicated in honor of:

Honoring Air Force Veteran Sam Ray Bowling

9.81 Miles of Honor, Respect, and Remembrance

Today, I had the honor of walking 9.81 miles in memory of Air Force Veteran Sam Ray Bowling, age 72, of Crossville, Tennessee, who passed away on July 22, 2026.

Sam was born in Toledo, Ohio, and answered the call to serve his country in the United States Air Force, serving from October 24, 1974, through June 30, 1975.

During his military service, Sam was assigned to the 305th Field Maintenance Squadron at Grissom Air Force Base near Peru, Indiana, where the unit was part of Strategic Air Command. The 305th Field Maintenance Squadron had a long history at Grissom and was responsible for important maintenance support within the 305th Air Refueling Wing.

Sam’s work included the operation and dispatching of military vehicles, a responsibility that helped keep people, equipment, and missions moving. While that may not always be the most visible part of military service, every job has a purpose, and every Airman plays a role in accomplishing the mission. Sam served his country during a time when Strategic Air Command was responsible for maintaining a powerful and ready force.

Today, I wanted to make sure that Sam’s service and his life were remembered.

The Walk

We headed out from Northside Drive around 10:00 a.m., beginning another walk to honor a Fallen Hero.

From there, we headed south on Highway 127 and made our way downtown to Veterans Memorial Park. While there, we had the opportunity to meet some of Sam’s family, which made this stop especially meaningful.

We took time to read some of the names engraved on the memorial wall and visited with a Vietnam Veteran who was there. Moments like these are a reminder of why remembering our Veterans and Fallen Heroes matters. Their names, their service, and their stories should never simply become part of history that we forget.

Before leaving the park, we also discovered a beautiful painted American flag rock. It seemed like one of those small moments that makes a meaningful walk even more special.

From the park, we continued on West Avenue and headed back north.

But as the miles continued, the temperature became a serious challenge.

It was getting extremely hot—nearly 90 degrees—and I stopped three times along the way for water. Eventually, I realized I was becoming overheated. We made it back to the bridge on Sparta Highway, where a very kind gentleman stopped to check on me.

At that point, I made the decision to tap out.

There is no shame in recognizing when your body is telling you to stop. The purpose of these walks is to honor our heroes—not to put myself in danger. We finished today’s walk at the Sparta Highway bridge, ending with 9.81 miles in Sam’s honor.

After getting somewhere cool and allowing myself to cool down, I felt much better.

626 Reasons to Remember

Throughout today’s walk, people continued to show their support.

To everyone who honked, waved, or saluted as we passed—thank you.

Those moments may seem small to some people, but they mean a tremendous amount to me. Every honk, every wave, and every salute is another reminder that people still care about the men and women who served our country.

Today, there were 626 honks in honor of Sam.

That is 626 moments of recognition for a man who wore the uniform of the United States Air Force.

I also want to recognize SPC Luke Blissett, another Fallen Hero, who helped us honor Sam today. I carry the memory of our Fallen Heroes with me on every walk, and their stories continue to become part of the stories we tell as we honor others.