WHEELING — A patriotic theme will take center stage on Memorial Day weekend, when veterans of wars past and present and troops currently piloting the renowned Black Hawk helicopter will meet Friday, May 23, at Wheeling’s Heritage Port as part of the Ogden Newspapers 20K Classic Run and Walk schedule of events.

Race Director Robert “Scat” Scatterday, who flew 136 missions in Vietnam and still holds the rank of major in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, said the race weekend has grown to include a wonderful tribute to the military on Friday evening.

The first event is the Olympic-style Torch Relay, which begins at 4 p.m. Friday in Elm Grove. It will include a number of veterans signifying various branches of the military.

After ceremonies at the Main Stage and prior to other events, the 150th Aviation Battalion Air National Guard, which is stationed at the Wheeling-Ohio County Airport, will send a solo Black Hawk over Heritage Port at about 6:25 p.m.

“The helicopter will do a fly-by in recognition of the military, both past and present, and more particularly, the missing man, signifying those brothers and sisters who paid the ultimate price,” Scatterday noted.

“The Black Hawk helicopter flyover and landing is totally new this year, and this is something I think will really prove to be a major attraction.”

The Ogden Tiny Tot Trot will step off at 6:45 p.m. Friday under the WesBanco skywalk between Chapline and 14th streets. At 7 p.m., the Ogden Fun Run will take place, followed at 7:15 p.m. by the Ogden Mile/Masters Mile.

Saturday’s activities begin with the 20K Walk at 7:30 a.m. The main event — the 20K Run — gets under way at 8 a.m., with the 5K Run and Walk starting at 8:15 a.m.

“The Torch Relay starts in Elm Grove and traverses the last 6 miles of the Ogden 20K race course along National Road into downtown Wheeling, ending at the Main Stage at Main and 14th streets,” Scatterday said.

Scatterday said the helicopter will take off from the Wheeling-Ohio County Airport.

“The Black Hawk will conduct some maneuvers over the river before landing on the stage at the port. I think this will be a really awesome experience for everyone who gets to see it,” he said.

After the fly-by, the helicopter will land on the cement stage for a “static display,” which will give the public a chance for an up-close look at the helicopter and meet the pilots, crew chiefs and a recruiter.

“The 150th is right here in our backyard, and this is a way for them to reach out to families and children who might enjoy something neat like this. It is an opportunity for the crew to interact with families and the local community,” Scatterday said.

Scatterday said the helicopter crew members from the 150th indicated they want to be part of the community — and in a special way.

“After all, many of the members of their unit live here. We’re asking them to show us why they go to work every day and make our quality of life more secure.”

Lt. Col. Larry Graham, facility commander of the 150th Aviation Battalion, said his crew is pleased to be participating in the Memorial Day weekend and race events in Wheeling.

“We are very happy to be a part of it, especially with the race being a tribute to veterans,” Graham commented. “We don’t publicize ourselves all that much, so this is a way to put us out in the public eye.”

Graham said whenever a Black Hawk is on display, the public is very receptive.

“Kids love to crawl all over it,” he said. “The machines are bought and paid for by the taxpayers, and we like to get them out there for everyone to take a look.”

The pilot in command of the Black Hawk slated to visit Heritage Port is Ty Miller, a local soldier. The 150th returned last July from a 19-month tour of duty that included 12 months in Iraq.

“We had God’s blessing there. Luck will only take you so far, but we returned OK,” Graham said.