Memorial Run-Walk Held in Md. for Slain Soldier

Seven months ago, Nicole Bunting's husband, a 29-year-old Army captain, was killed while serving in Afghanistan. Three days later, she learned that she was pregnant with the couple's second child.

To honor her husband, Bunting and her sister Tracey Paul organized Bubba's Belly Run, a 5K race, maternity walk and fun run held Sunday to raise money for her children's education and for nonprofit groups dedicated to helping military families.

"I wanted to show the love that everyone has for him," said Nicole Bunting, 28. "We want this to be an annual event that everyone looks forward to every year so that we can celebrate Bubba's life and the lives of all our other lost soldiers."

The event is named for Army Capt. Brian M. "Bubba" Bunting, a star athlete at the private Bullis School in Potomac and a West Point graduate. He and three other soldiers were killed Feb. 24 in Kandahar province when a makeshift bomb detonated near their vehicle. He received the nickname "Bubba" from one of his brothers as a child.

The couple last saw each other two weeks before Brian Bunting's death. Nicole Bunting chose to host the run around this time because Sept. 23 would have been their third wedding anniversary. Brian and Nicole Bunting and their two children, 2-year-old Connor and Cooper Coleman, due Nov. 3, were the event's first registered participants.

Despite the rain, a crowd had gathered by 7 a.m. at the Bullis School, Nicole Bunting's alma mater as well as Brian's, to begin walking, running and sometimes crawling on the school's fields. The event was bittersweet for relatives and friends. Brian Bunting, who participated in high school football, lacrosse and wrestling, had played sports on the fields where hundreds walked and ran in his memory.

With tears in his eyes, Robert Bunting, 61, remembered his son, whose huge, toothy grin radiated happiness. "This is a great day not just for my son but for all the brave men and women giving their lives for our freedom," he said. "My heart can't say enough. I'm so proud of Nicki."

Runners, pregnant women and other participants circled the school's campus to honor American veterans. Competitors in the 5K run raced along a grassy trail. Others slowly pushed babies in strollers around the school's track.

"We've been crying for seven months, but we're not crying today," said Beth Pascal, Nicole Bunting's mother. Twenty-two years ago to the day, Sept. 27, her husband died of cancer early in their marriage. She raised her daughters alone. "I know what she's going to miss and what these kids are going to miss," she said. "But it's overwhelming to see the community support."

Outside the school, more than 5,000 small American flags lined the streets in memory of troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yellow, black, and green balloons hung in the air with the event's logo, a silhouette of a pregnant woman in a military hat.

Brian Bunting's grandmother, Marguerite Norris, 85, was among the walkers. "I'm happy and I'm sad because I wish he were here," she said.

Nicole Bunting, now seven months pregnant, carried Connor in her arms for two laps around the track. "It's just absolutely amazing," she said after crossing the finish line.