"9:02 to 4:09": Oklahoma City to Boston: Beyond the Bombings

by David Hamel

This true story is of a personal journey of an Air Force sergeant and his wife that married at Castle Air Force Base in California and moved to Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma in 1994. Less than a year later, the newlywed couple were unable to conceive a child and were beginning the second series of three unsuccessful attempts of reproductive treatments when the Oklahoma City Bombing occurred at 9:02 am on April 19, 1995. The personal heartbreak and the simultaneous loss of 15 children at the day care center at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building and its aftermath set a sorrowful resonating tone of acceptance and getting on with life. That meant marathon running for the sergeant and being a hairstylist for the wife. That is, until the Boston Marathon bombings on April 15, 2013. The clock at the nish line during the first explosion reminded him of his rst marathon time of 4:09 and something seconds. As a native of Massachusetts, the sergeant's long dormant reactions and emotions of 1995 were now returning. The death of an eight-year-old boy near the last stretch to the nish line and a very close date of the Oklahoma City bombing reminded him of the dream that was trying to be stolen again from him, and from other marathoners. Thus began a passionate journey to reclaim the nish line and achieve redemption. This is not only his story, but a story of our national character..."

60 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 20, 2015

About the author

David Hamel is a retired Air Force Chief Master Sergeant having served over 30 years on active duty in aircraft maintenance and as a Director of the Air Force Enlisted Heritage Research Institute in Montgomery, Alabama. He is a past Alabama State Commander of the Korea Defense Veterans of America and past Eastern District Commander of AMVETS, North Carolina. He has performed 175 Prisoner of War-Missing In Action (POW-MIA) table presentations and has served as the state POW-MIA Chairman for the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Departments of Alabama and North Carolina, and is a past National Aide-de-Camp. Dave is also an Eagle Scout.
Completing his 31 years of marathon running, Dave has finished 131 marathons in all 50 states, and has two finishes in the coveted Boston Marathon. Known as “Scrappy” in the Fort Bragg hockey community, he cross-trains playing aggressive ice hockey.
Dave is a motivational speaker on fitness and self-preservation, and Air Force history and heritage. He has Masters Degrees in Human Resources Development, and Computer Resources and Information Management.
He resides in Spring Lake, North Carolina with his wife Gloria, of 31 years.