From Lebanon to Grenada, a Marine Friendship That Never Stopped Running

I’ve run 538 marathons and had many “running angels,” people who appear out of nowhere and become a running soulmate, someone with you who is reliable, who supports you. Major Pat Giguere was an AH-1T Cobra attack helicopter pilot, and we worked in the same office at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, early in my career in the Marines. He was our air officer, and we became friends. We ran together at lunchtime. Since I was single at the time, he and his lovely wife, Cindy, would invite me to visit.

When I got to Lebanon in 1982, I became part of a multinational peacekeeping force. Pat and I were on the same ship together in the Mediterranean, and we would run on the ship’s deck. Sometimes, you’re in situations where it’s not easy to stay fit. It’s easy to make excuses. But you cannot become sedentary. Pat and I ran. On some ships, three laps around the deck is 1 mile. On smaller amphibious ships with just a small helicopter pad, 11 laps around the deck equals a mile.

I spoke French, so I was designated to take a liaison team and join the French Foreign Legion. My lifestyle with the French was so much better. I got ahold of Pat and said, “You’re eating those rations at the Marine camp, and I’m out here with fresh food, vegetables and wine. I’ll come pick you up, and you can spend some time with me.” We solidified our bond during that deployment. People like Pat become your family. You bond very closely, so you can help each other survive.

There is a longer story about Pat and his heroism and what happened one day. But the short story is that Pat, serving as the two-aircraft Cobra attack helicopter detachment commander, was responsible for providing security for my helicopter-borne infantry company during the landing on Grenada as part of Operation Urgent Fury in October 1983. Later that day, while flying missions in support of U.S. Army forces, both Cobra helicopters were shot down, and Pat was killed.

During my years on active duty, there were many with whom I served who are now deceased, who are now my running angels. But Pat is the one who is always with me. There are many moments when I am running—in the rain, in the cold—when he is there, challenging me, pushing me forward.

My wife, Naoko, and I were blessed with a “retirement child” when I was 51. Our fifth child, Patrick, named after Pat and born on St. Patrick’s Day, is now 20 years old. And every year on St. Patrick’s Day, we celebrate both of these beloved Patricks.

Retired Marine Col. Hank Donigan, 70, served for 34 years on active duty with multiple combat deployments, from the peacekeeping mission in Lebanon in 1982 to post‑9/11 Iraq in the early 2000s. A brain cancer survivor, he has run the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C., 30 times, including this past October. Major Pat Giguere was one of his “running angels.” He lives in Fallbrook, California.