Former Lost Boy of Sudan and Current Team Darfur Athlete Lopez Lomong is US Flag Bearer at Beijing Olympics

The name "Lost Boys of Sudan" was given by aid organizations that helped resettle Sudanese refugees to the US. The Lost Boys of Sudan are more than 27,000 boys who were displaced or orphaned during the Second Sudanese Civil War, in which approximately 2 million were killed. Many of the boys, predominately Christian, were fleeing persecution by Muslims. When villages were attacked, girls were raped, killed, taken as slaves, became servants, or displaced to other families. Relatively few girls made it to the refugee camps.[1]

Beijing has helped Sudan build its own factories to manufacture small arms and ammunition, the real weapons of mass destruction in the Islamic campaign of ethnic cleansing. Chinese-built helicopter gun-ships reportedly operate from airfields maintained by the Chinese oil companies.[2]

Lopez Lomong was one of the Lost Boys of Sudan. He was resettled in the United States through Catholic Charities with Robert and Barbara Rogers, in New York State. A year after becoming an American citizen, Lopez was selected as the US flag bearer at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

On January 1, 1985, Lopepe Lopez Lomong was born in a small village in Southern Sudan. At age six, Lomong and other children were abducted by a government-backed militia as they attended Catholic Mass in the southern village of his birthplace.[3]

Lomong remained in captivity for three weeks, he was beaten and watched others die around him from dysentery and lack of food.[3] Three other boys from his village helped him escape and the four of them ran for three days until they crossed the border into Kenya. Lomong spent ten-years in a Kenyan refugee camp before resettling in the US. His name "Lopez" was a nickname from the refugee camp that he later adopted officially.[4]

Lopez Lomong entered 10th grade in New York and began to realize the American dream. He enjoyed Freedom and excelled as a runner for cross country and track teams in HS and later at Northern Arizona University.

On July 6, 2007, Lopez Lomong became a citizen of the United States of America. Exactly one year later, Lopez qualified for the US Olympic Team and is a 1,500 meter runner and said "Now I'm not just one of the Lost Boys, I'm an American."[5]

"I need to send the message as an athlete from Sudan. I'm worried about the kids who are dying in Darfur," Lomong said following his July 6, 2008 selection. Lomong had been outspoken about wanting to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis in his homeland and is a member of the Team Darfur coalition representing hundreds of athletes opposed to China's support for Sudan.[6]

Joey Cheek a former US Olympic speed skater, 2006 gold medal winner and founder of Team Darfur, was planning to attend the Olympics as a private person. In a classless move, the Chinese embassy revoked his visa a day before he was scheduled to fly to Beijing. No official statement from Beijing was issued, but it is apparent that China barred Joey Cheek due to his involvement with Team Darfur.

With the class of an American statesman, Lopez Lomong avoided any direct criticism of Beijing while expressing his regret over Joey Cheek's exclusion from attending the games.

President George W. Bush used talks with China's leaders during the Beijing Olympics to press them to use their influence with Sudan to help end the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. "Joey Cheek has just got to know that I took the Sudanese message for him (to the Chinese government)." President Bush has denounced the Sudanese government for its policies in the Darfur region.[7]

At the opening ceremonies in Beijing, US Olympic team captains established themselves as winners. They voted Lopez Lomong, a Sudanese refugee and Team Darfur athlete, to lead the US Olympic team and carry the US flag.

In a time-honored tradition US Olympic team captains select an athlete that is representative of an Olympian and an American, the tradition was upheld as Lomong became the US flag bearer.

Lopez Lomong epitomized the American spirit by carrying the broad stripes and bright stars. Yes, that Star-Spangled Banner does wave over the land of the Free and the home of the brave.

Sources:

1. Lost Boys of Sudan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
2. FrontPage Magazine
3. Odyssey May End at Olympics for Lomong - NYTimes.com
4. Lopez Lomong - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
5. USOC | News | From African refugee camp to Olympic start line
6. USOC | News | US flag bearer Lomong dodges political questions
7. Bush urges China to use clout with Sudan on Darfur | International | Reuters