A Mile Per Man

Some people tie yellow ribbons around trees in times of war. Some buy magnetic yellow ribbons to proudly display on their cars.

Karl Rysted wears them…on his hat, his body, wherever they will fit. The 43-year-old staff attorney with Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma began his yellow ribbon campaign by committing to run one mile for each American soldier killed in Iraq until the last troop is safely home. For every hundred miles, Rysted puts on another ribbon.

He has run those miles by competing in the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, the Marine Corps Marathon, the Baltimore Marathon, and most recently, the Freescale Austin Marathon in February. After logging 775 miles, he had only 25 miles to go for yellow ribbon number eight.

Military service runs in the Rysted family—both Karl’s father and father-in-law served during the Korean War, and his sister-in-law just finished a stint in the Oklahoma National Guard. “It’s a very satisfying feeling,” Rysted says of his unique way of honoring the troops’ sacrifice. “It’s just the same expression of support that a lot of people are feeling out there.”

n Karl Rysted, an attorney with Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, crosses the finish line of a marathon as part of his commitment to run one mile for every American soldier killed in Iraq.