PHOENIX — A French woman has made it her mission to walk and run across the United States — American flag in hand — as an act of gratitude toward a country of which she is not a citizen.
Starting Memorial Day weekend, Ingrid Moncuit completed a four-day journey on foot, running and walking nearly 200 miles from Lake Havasu City to Chase Field in Phoenix. A small duo, including her rescue dog Charlie and her friend, Jeff, also of Lake Havasu City, rode alongside her for safety.
Even after falling near downtown Phoenix with just miles to go, leaving a fresh scrape on her knee, Moncuit pushed through to the finish line.
"I did it! Ah!" Moncuit said as she hugged the American flag and looked to the sky.
When asked how she stays motivated under the brutal Arizona sun in the middle of the desert, Moncuit recalls the many people who passed her showing their support for carrying the flag.
"So many people: 'USA! USA! God Bless the flag, God bless USA, America!'"
Moncuit's love for the United States traces back to a discovery she made after losing her father. When she was 7 years old, her father, Daniel Pilcer, died. Pilcer was one of more than 4,000 Jewish children who were hidden in France to keep them safe while their parents were imprisoned or murdered in Nazi concentration camps. Finding that small American flag in her late father's pocket sparked an interest in the U.S. and a deep appreciation for what American forces did to liberate France during World War II — one that never faded.
"I put my foot on American soil, and I can't describe, but I knew I was at my home," Moncuit said.
Since 1994, Moncuit has traveled to America every year to walk across cities like Atlanta, Miami, and Los Angeles. She even trekked from Amarillo to Dallas — always carrying the American flag.
Along the way, she learns American stories, stops at war memorials, and shares them online.
It is her way of saying "merci" — or, in this case, "thank you."
"I'm French but American in my heart," Moncuit said.
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You can follow her journeys on her Instagram and Facebook pages.
