Converse said people came up to him after noticing him running with his flag during the 2018 Blue Cross Broad Street Run.
"I’ve had men and women who have served come up to me and thank me. I’ve had a lot of people ask me why," Converse said.
He is currently the director of Pets for Patriots, a non-profit organization that helps pair veterans with shelter animal companions.
Broad Street Run shirts throughout the years.
A collection of the Broad Street Run shirts through the years.
The first Broad Street Run was free to run. The only cost was two dollars for a shirt. The shirt featured a graphic with city hall on it.
The 1982 shirt featured a similar graphic on a light blue shirt.
In 1983, sponsor and partner logos were added to the shirt.
The 1985 shirt lost the drawing of city hall.
1986 added runners to the design.
The 1987 shirt
The 1988 shirt
After three years of similar shirt design, the 1989 shirt switched it up for the 10th anniversary run. The shirt featured a runner crossing the finish line.
The 1990 shirt
The 1991 shirt
The 1992 shirt
The 1993 shirt
The 1994 shirt
The 1995 shirt
The 1996 shirt
After eight years of similar design, 1997 switched up the design -- putting the runner design behind all of the text. It also added Blue Cross to the design, changing the name of the race to the Blue Cross Broad Street Run.
The 1998 shirt had a boxed design again, but featured a more modern looking runner design.
The 1999 design was more text-centered for the 20th anniversary.
The 2000 shirt featured a pink ribbon design.
The 2001 shirt
2002 featured a design on the back of the shirt in memory of 9/11.
The 2003 shirt recycled the design from 2000.
The 2004 shirt brought in a new design with more realistic runner silhouettes for the 25th anniversary.
The 2005 shirt
2006 switched to a more rectangular design.
The 2007 shirt
The 2008 shirt featured a smaller rectangle and brought city hall back on to the shirt for the first time since 1988.
The 2009 shirt marked the 30th anniversary and featured a more modern design. This was the first year runners also received a medal.
The 2010 shirt was vastly different and featured a view of Philadelphia's skyline.
The 2011 shirt reused the runner silhouette from 2009 with City Hall featured on the medal.
2012 was the first year with a black shirt.
The 2013 shirt and medal
The 2014 medal had glittering text for the 35th anniversary.
The 2016 medal showcased the navy yard with a crowd of runners.
The 2017 shirt featured a modern runner silhouette design made from text.
The 2018 shirt removed pictures altogether and focused on a text-centric design. The medal called out landmarks seen along the race.
The 2019 shirt and medal designs were revealed on the Broad Street Run Facebook page, celebrating 40 years running.
All the medals are displayed with their bands in Joseph Farrell's home.
Whether he’s racing or training, Converse is carrying that flag.
"Your hand can get tired, but generally that’s just what I do. I just literally hold it," Converse said.
He says people at the 2019 Blue Cross Broad Street Run should take a minute to thank the men and women who serve our country.
"If every one of the 35,000 runners of the Broad Street Run were to thank a police officer who’s stopping traffic or an EMT who is there to help us, I think that would have an impact," Converse said.
You can follow our Broad Street Run coverage live on NBC10 May 5 starting at 7:30 a.m.
