U.S. Army veteran Mike Ehredt addresses the Bureau Valley High School student body and staff during a brief stop Friday morning at the edge of BVHS property near Manlius. Ehredt began his multi-state, 2,100 Project America run on Aug. 23 in Minnesota and will end his run on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, in Texas. Along each mile of the route, Ehredt is placing a small U.S. flag by the side of the road in honor of military personnel who have died in Afghanistan. Each flag is adorned with a small yellow ribbon which bears the name, rank, age and hometown of the fallen military member. In 2010, Ehredt ran 4,400 miles from Oregon to Maine to honor military personnel who died in Iraq. Ehredt told the BVHS students and staff he doesn’t make his runs to make a political statement, but simply as a personal tribute to those who have served and given their lives for their country.