Behind the Scenes

Daniel Clinger is a retired Marine Master Gunnery Sergeant. His passions include outdoor adventures, off-roading in one of his Jeeps, and collecting and sharing whiskey with friends. His latest mission is supporting, honoring, and serving families of the fallen.

As a Gold Star father, two years ago he was sponsored to run the Cowtown Half Marathon in Ft. Worth, Texas by wear blue: run to remember, a 501(c)3 organization that honors the service and sacrifice of the American military. After completing the run, Daniel and his wife Darlene volunteered with the organization during the Air Force Marathon at Wright-Patterson AFB. He currently serves as the wear blue Director of Race Operations, responsible for organizing and executing the wear blue Tribute Mile. A section of the course lined with tribute posters of the fallen followed by volunteers holding American flags adorned with streamers containing the names of the fallen.

The organization was founded in 2010 after several members of the 5-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team were lost during a deployment to Afghanistan. During the deployment, a small group of wives met weekly to create a support network for one another. The group wore the blue physical training shirts of the unit. Current Chief Executive officer (CEO), Lisa Hallett lost her husband Capt John Hallet during the deployment. A lifelong runner, she turned to running and community to navigate the difficulty of working through the grief of her loss. Lisa and fellow Army wife Erin O’Conner turned this small group into a nationwide organization that now helps thousands across the country heal from the devastation effects of the loss of a military loved one.

The wear blue logo depicts a shoe print with 41 stars honoring the 41 soldiers lost from the 5-2 Stryker Brigade and the organization’s motto, For the Fallen, For the Fighting, and For the Families. The organization title is lower case to represent that the mission, who we serve; who we honor; who we remember, is more important than the name.

Today, wear blue honors all members of the military who pass away while serving and has evolved into a powerful network of currently serving, veterans, military families, Gold Star and surviving families, and community members.

As a Gold Star father, wear blue has become a family to Daniel and his wife. He has led the Tribute Mile team in ten marathons over the last sixteen months—most recently at the 2024 Cowtown Marathon the weekend of 24 February.

For more information, please visit the wear blue website at www.wearblueruntoremember.org.