The supervisor of Mountview Cemetery in Billings walks a daily total of five miles through the burial grounds while making his rounds. Now in his position for just over a year, Brandon Schmidt has had plenty of time to reflect on the 25,000 people buried there. Along the curvy roads and paths, there’s a section of individuals in the 65-acre cemetery he resonates with.
“I always wanted to be able to do something for the veteran community and I wanted to get more of the public utilizing the cemetery. I wasn’t sure, it took me a while to figure it out, but I put those two together, and came up with the run,” Schmidt said, who served in the U.S. Navy for 24 years.
The Patriot Run is on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, which is the Sunday before Veteran’s Day. Runners and walkers will take two laps around the cemetery course before they reach the finish line. This year’s event also features a one-lap 2K race.
The veteran’s section of Mountview is the final resting place for more than 1,500 service men and women, with more buried in other areas of the cemetery. Money raised by the Patriot Run will go into a grant fund administered by non-profit foundation Partners for Parks.
“The Department of Veteran’s Affairs provides the headstone and the City provides the grave, but families are still required to pay for opening, closing, and setting up the funeral service. My goal is to bury those who wish to be buried in the veteran’s section at no cost to the family,” Schmidt explained.
“The families are the unsung heroes of the veteran community. Service members go over the horizon and family members are left at home going on with life, without their significant other, or father, or mother. When the service members return, they are fighting demons that a lot of them come back with, and their family is on the front lines for that battle too. Being able to help in a little way during a very hard time is a way to show our appreciation for what they’ve been through,” Schmidt explained.
Schmidt grew up in Big Timber and joined the Navy right out of high school. He started as a machinist and became a surface warfare officer. He retired as a Commander in 2020. Schmidt has family members buried at Mountview. Other than the people who stop by to visit family members, there’s about two or three dozen regulars who use the cemetery to go on walks and runs.
Because Mountview Cemetery is funded by tax dollars and maintained by Billings Parks and Recreation, Schmidt wants to see that number grow. “Cemeteries were the first parks, because way back in the day, these were the only public areas. People would have picnics here. In large part, Mountview Cemetery is paid for by the public. It’s a beautiful place, serene, and quiet,” Schmidt said.
He also mentioned it’s a great place to take your dog on a walk, as long as they’re on a leash. Take the Patriot Run as your official invitation to lace up your gym shoes and head to the cemetery.
Use RunSignUp.com to register. The cost is $35 for ages 13 and up. You can also make a donation on the race page if you are unable to make it to the event. The race begins at 12 p.m. for the 2K and 1 p.m. for the 5K. Packet pickup runs from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. that same day.