Fallen Springfield marine remembered with annual run-walk

SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - While military remembrance and appreciation is at the forefront, over the weekend, a local hero was honored in a big way by the community he gave his life to protect.

“This is how you remember people, keeping them alive, you don’t let ‘em die,” said Marines SSgt. Alexander Stover.

On Sunday, the community gathered to remember an American hero, who made the ultimate sacrifice while defending his country during a 2015 domestic terrorist attack.

“This is about remembrance. This is the only way to remember Marines. I lost friends, mentors, but this family lost a brother, a son. The community lost a local hero,” Stover added.

U.S. Marines GySgt. Thomas Sullivan’s contributions to his community did not end with that one act of heroism as, every Veteran’s Day weekend, a remembrance run and walk, held in his name, continues to give back. Nathan Bill’s Bar and Restaurant, owned by the three-time Purple Heart recipient’s family, has hosted this fundraiser event for the past nine years.

“A majority of the funds go toward the scholarship that they have and I was talking to [Mr. Sullivan] earlier and, right now, I believe he said roughly they have about $700,000 in that scholarship,” Stover explained. “That goes to helping kids because that’s what he said his brother would want to do and that’s kinda the tradition they want to keep going.”

Sullivan’s brother, Joe, emphasized just how important this event is not only to the family, but to veterans everywhere. “It means a lot. It’s maintaining my brother’s memory, remembering the heroic act he did, saving lives during a domestic terrorist attack in Chattanooga, Tennessee,” he said adding, “We tie it together, a salute to our veterans. Our business is very veteran oriented. We give huge veteran discounts across the board. We’re just a military family.”

Though GySgt. Sullivan may have given his life defending his military family nearly a decade ago, his family in Springfield have ensured that with a scholarship in his name, his impact will be felt for generations for come and, if you weren’t able to make it out to the fundraiser Sunday morning, you won’t want to miss next year because the tenth anniversary is shaping up to be something special.

“We had a long talk with the family and we’re gonna keep it going. Next year, the tenth year, is gonna be the biggest one ever. We’re getting started on that one right away,” Joe Sullivan explained.