Kentucky Guardsmen to hold 200-mile memorial ruck march

MIDDLESBORO, Ky. (WTVQ) More than 200 soldiers will participate in a 200-mile march in Kentucky starting on Friday.

Members of the Kentucky National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 149th Infantry will take part in the Inaugural Mountain Warrior Memorial Ruck March from Ravenna to Middlesboro.

The 202-mile ruck march will be held in honor of Lt. Col. Jeff Cole, former commander of the infantry battalion who passed away from cancer in 2015. A memorial ceremony will be held at the Middlesboro armory immediately following the conclusion of the march.

The march is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. on Friday with a flag folding ceremony in Ravenna and continue for the next 51 hours as soldiers pass each of their armories en route to Middlesboro.

Teams from each company of the infantry battalion, nicknamed the “Mountain Warriors,” will complete five separate marches connecting their home armories.

The public is invited to join the march for the final 1.5 miles to the Middlesboro armory. The link up location is set for approximately 1:00 p.m. at the corner of US 25 and Cumberland Avenue at the O’Reilly Auto Parts parking lot. The location will be marked and a shuttle will be available to return participants to their vehicles. The memorial ceremony will be held at approximately 2:00 p.m.