Academy grads' run takes flag from D.C. to WTC

NEW YORK (CNN) -- As a tribute to those killed and injured in terrorist attacks in Washington and New York, about 60 recent graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy carried an American flag from the Pentagon to the demolished World Trade Center to encourage American patriotism, particularly among the country's youth.

"This is a grass-roots movement," said one runner, huffing into New York Saturday as the two-day relay neared an end. "You know, America was started as a grass-roots movement. That's how we are going to rise up from this tragedy."

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The runners made their entry into the city through the Holland Tunnel, the final leg in a relay that began Friday morning at the Pentagon, roughly 225 miles away.

"We had a private tour of the Holland Tunnel," said another runner, a New York native. "It was empty. It's usually bumper-to-bumper in there. It's so sad to see."

Danny Campos, a recent academy graduate, devised the run after visiting the site where the WTC's twin towers were decimated by two hijacked airliners on September 11.

He said he was touched by how much small gestures meant to the firefighters and police officers of New York. A run, linking the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, heavily damaged by a third hijacked airliner, would be a strong show of support for those involved in the rescue operations, he decided. Others agreed, and the relay quickly took shape.

The runners got some support of their own, too. After heading north to Pier 94, the graduates hooked south to the rescue and recovery scene, their final destination. On the West Side Highway, a small but vocal group cheered them on.

"Go, America!" cried the runners, their legs pumping in the bright sunlight.

A female runner added an extra thought: "The youth will overcome!" she yelled. "Just wait and see!"