A Bigfork woman will travel to New Mexico next month with quite a lot on her back. 

Marilyn Olson, 49, will carry 20 pounds of gear trudging in combat boots 26.2 miles through the high desert near White Sands, N.M.

But more important than the things she carries are the memories of those fighting men who in 1942 were forced to march 80 miles in the sweltering heat of the Philippines.

Olson will “ruck,” or march with gear, a marathon distance at the 25th annual Bataan Memorial Death March on March 23 to honor the veterans and active servicemen and women of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is also to remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for comrades and country.

“I’m doing this mainly to honor my son’s buddies who were killed in Afghanistan,” Olson said. “People kept calling me with more. I probably have about 10 veterans that I’ve been asked by families to honor there.”

Olson has quite a history with the armed services. Her father spent 23 years in the Marine Corps. She has three children who followed in their grandfather’s bootsteps.

Her oldest, 23-year old Cpl. Trevor Erickson, is stationed in Twentynine Palms, Calif., preparing for redeployment to the Middle East. Lance Cpls. Andrew Erickson, 21, and Chelsea Olson, 18, are aboard the USS Bon Homme Richard aircraft carrier and in Cherry Point, N.C. respectively. All three are Bigfork High School graduates.

“My father never knew my children,” Olson said. “But Trevor remembered seeing his medals as a child and it was his goal from day one to join the Corps.”

Erickson shipped out with another lance corporal from Arlington, Va. Niall Coti-Sears died from his wounds after an improvised explosive device went off near the end of a 12-hour firefight with insurgents in Afghanistan’s Sangin Valley on June 23, 2012.

Coti-Sears’ mother, Susan Coti, is constantly grateful for the comfort Olson provided her after her son’s death. His photo will be among the nearly dozen Olson will carry on her march through the desert.

“When she told me she was going to train for the Bataan Death March to honor Niall’s memory and others who were killed in the same mission, I was deeply touched and honored,” Coti said. “Marilyn is truly a beacon of light and healing to those of us who lost our sons and daughters in this terrible war.”

The Bigfork Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4042 and the Flathead Marines have raised money for all of Olson’s travel costs to White Sands, but she continues to raise money for Montana Wounded Warriors. 

In honor of this and her children, she decided to attempt the march (some will be running, others walking) wearing combat boots. It hasn’t been easy.

“They recommend you put 100 miles in the boots before attempting this sort of thing,” Olson said. “Duct tape has become my best friend.”

When not dealing with taping over blisters, another problem she faces is the weather discrepancy. Subzero temperatures while hiking in Bigfork will be replaced with the potential blistering heat of early spring in the Chihuahuan desert.

“I’ve been wearing tons of warm clothes to get be used to heat,” Olson said. “But when I get there it could be like I’m in the Bahamas and am very comfortable. Who knows?”

Another veteran she will honor is Libby’s Harry Tripp. 

Tripp died in 2006 following an illustrious career in the military. As a U.S. Navy radio man he was captured in the Philippines and was marched to a prisoner-of-war camp before being shipped to the Japanese mainland. He was not part of the Bataan Death March, but endured similar enemy disregard for prisoner well-being.

Barbara Tripp, Harry’s widow, was proud of her husband’s accomplishments.

“He started out in radio communications and was teaching that at Pearl Harbor during the attack,” she said. “He was stationed on a sub, but it left without him. He had to take a different ship to the Philippines.”

Olson is happy to take on the burden of Tripp, Coti-Sears and other American heroes as she crosses the desert.

“I’m ecstatic about it,” she said. “All of my travel expenses are paid. With all the families asking me to honor them, I feel totally validated. All this training means something.”

Olson, a board member of the Montana Wounded Warriors, said any donations would be welcome at that organization. For more information or to donate to Wounded Warriors, call 270-1648.

Reporter Ryan Murray may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at rmurray@dailyinterlake.com.