Few national holidays strike a chord in as many American hearts as Memorial Day.

Since the 1860s, the nation has paused on Memorial Day to honor the brave men and women who have served their country here and abroad in conflicts from the Civil War to Iraq.

The holiday is especially meaningful to R.”Scat” Scatterday, now in his first year as race director for The Ogden Newspapers 20K Classic.

Currently a major with the U.S. Air Force Reserve, Scatterday flew 136 combat missions in Vietnam.

“I lost 12 wingmen,” he said. “It was a private, personal loss that I will never, ever forget.

“These guys died while we were in service to our country. The least I can do is remember them publicly every opportunity I can for the rest of my life,” he added. “I would say every vet has his or her own story of a lost comrade and, quite frankly, we can’t begin to feel what the families have experienced in the face of a loss. But we can publicly say we honor them.

“It is out of that part of me that I recognized we don’t emphasize the veterans and Memorial Day enough.”

In an effort to change that, Scatterday and The Ogden Newspapers 20K Classic organizers have decided to stage an Olympic-style torch run as part of the race weekend on Saturday, May 26.

“I thought it would be extremely appropriate to tie the veterans and Memorial Day together, and from that came the idea for the torch run,” Scatterday said.

The inaugural event will begin, rain or shine, at 4:30 p.m. in Elm Grove.

“It will involve some 20 runners, starting in relay fashion,” Scatterday said, noting local veterans, high school essay winners, city officials and West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin will take turns carrying the torch.

Wheeling Police Chief Kevin Gessler will be the first to carry the torch. He’ll run for a half-mile and then hand off the torch to four freshmen essay winners from Wheeling Park High School.

After they carry the torch for a quarter-mile, they will hand the torch over to Wheeling City Manager Bob Herron, who will carry the torch another half-mile.

At that point, the torch will be passed to four sophomore essay winners from Wheeling Park. They will carry the torch for another quarter-mile before giving it to Wheeling Mayor Nick Sparachane.

Sparachane will carry the flame a half-mile before turning things over to Park’s four junior class essay winners, who will carry the torch to the bottom of Wheeling Hill on the Fulton side.

At this point, the torch will be given to Lt. Col. Paul Hicks, a veteran of the second Gulf War.

“He and other veterans who served from 1991 to the present who would want to join in will, en masse, carry the torch to the top of Wheeling Hill by the windmill,” Scatterday explained.

They’ll hand the torch off to Lt. Col. Pat Plunkett, a Vietnam veteran. He, along with anyone who served in any branch of the armed services from 1960-90, will carry the flame to the historical marker on Stone Boulevard.

At this point, the torch will be given to Tech Sgt. Jim Koonce, a Korean War veteran. He will be joined by anyone who served their country from 1950-59.

The torch and the large throng of veterans will move to Lincoln School, where the flame will be passed to Gunnery Sgt. Dale Sigler, a veteran of World War II. At this point, other vets who served from 1949 and before will join the procession.

Sigler will carry the torch until the throng reaches the federal building on Chapline Street. At this point, the torch will be passed to Manchin, who will lead the contingent to the start/finish line near WesBanco Arena.

“Once we get there, Gov. Manchin will address the gathering with comments about Memorial Day and veterans,” Scatterday said.

The goal is to have each group of veterans join the procession at different points during the run so that the torch run concludes with hundreds of veterans surging to the finish line.

Scatterday has issued an open invitation to all veterans to participate.

“They just need to show up” at the location where their respective era starts in the run, Scatterday said. “No registration is required. No paperwork is involved. Just show up.

“We will provide alternate transportation for any veteran who might need assistance to the finish line.”

Family members are encouraged to join in to help veterans along the trek.

Scatterday also encouraged any participating vet to bring banners, flags and wear any uniform they feel is appropriate.

“This is something we hope to build on in future years,” Scatterday said.

For information, call Scatterday at (304) 233-1312.