Army vet honors Pat Tillman’s legacy; annual run is now a family tradition
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — If you spend a few minutes with Master Sgt. Thomas Mortenson, you’ll learn there is no doubt he had an amazing 30-year military career.
Now retired from the U.S. Army, he helped to create a new path forward.
“This was the 27th battalion of the fifth division and they were the Iraqi Special Forces. We went in and trained them. That part of the mission was probably one of the best because we got to train them and how to stand up for themselves,” shared Mortenson.
He worked with high-ranking officials, including General Petraeus, who was once his commanding officer and went on to lead the CIA. Mortenson was also assigned as a bodyguard for Colin Powell. While stationed on the USS Missouri, he was one of two bodyguards for superstar Cher as she made her music video for her hit song “If I Could Turn Back Time.”
She signed his uniform, which Mortenson shared led to a bit of trouble the next day: “I went in for inspection the next morning and got torn apart for having a signature on my blouse and dress uniform.” When asked if it was worth it, he said it was.
You could find him participating in Pat’s Run when he wasn’t deployed. He has shirts and metals for each run he has taken part in—13, to be exact.
“I actually did the inaugural Pat Tillman run in 2005. We were just getting back from one of our deployments and of course had heard what happened over in Afghanistan with Pat Tillman. Because he is an American hero I wanted to honor that by going and doing the first Pat’s Run and then after that I was hooked because it’s something that is so gratifying because you’re paying tribute to one of your heroes,” said Mortenson.
Participating in the run has become a family tradition. Today, 13 family members run, and Mortenson looks forward to the day his two and 4-year-old grandsons can also participate in the celebration.
“It’s just a fun time for the family all to get together and celebrate because we are, we’re celebrating Pat,” he said.
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