Carry the Load

Carry the Load Subhead 11th Annual Memorial Day Rally, Lunch, and Walk brings Mount Pleasant together News Staff Wed, 05/29/2024 - 06:57 Image

• Carry the Load
• Carry the Load
• Carry the Load
• TRIBUNE PHOTO / NICOLE KIMBALL

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On Friday, May 24, the familiar notes of the American Anthem echoed through the Mount Pleasant Civic Center– sung in the rich, soulful voice of Jimmy Smith. Hundreds of residents, military members and family, and veterans stood at attention in the dimmed room, their eyes locked on the stage and a hand over their beating heart.

This is the 11th year that Ministering our Military held the Memorial Day Rally, Lunch, and Walk in Mount Pleasant. The organization was originally founded in 2013 by a group of mothers, whose kids had joined the military. Every year, MoM sends dozens of care packages and holds events to help military members and veterans.

Kellye Cooper, a coordinator for MoM, said, “We’re also doing veteran support or fulfilling veteran’s dreams or wishes. We sent a veteran to a Rangers game with his best friend. We provided air purifiers when a veteran needed them in his home. We provided a chair lift for a veteran. We want to be able to, if they have a wish or something they want to do, whether it’s fishing or a football game or something, we just want to try to make that happen while they’re still alive and we can honor them.”

At the wall opposite of the stage in the Civic Center hall, there was a commemoration set up in honor of veterans who committed suicide. A sign displayed in front of 22 empty silver trays said, “Every day, 22 veterans commit suicide. That’s 22 too many.”

According to the 2023 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report from the Veteran’s Affairs website, suicide rates fell between 2020 to 2021. However, their findings indicated that suicide was still the 13th-leading cause of death for veterans overall, and the second- leading cause of death among veterans under the age of 45.

Regarding the commemoration for veteran suicides, Cooper said, “We started that several years ago. It changes every year how we do it. One year after we set it up, a man with the American Legion in Mount Vernon walked up to that section. He was very quiet and had a tear. We talked to him and he said his son was one of the ‘22 a day’. That year, we realized how important it is. We gave that man a way to honor his son and a way he could talk about it.”

Memorial Day has been observed since 1971. While the day is often observed with family cookouts and fireworks, there are those who wish to honor the day with more solemnity.

Carry the Load is a nonprofit that busses their members all over the nation to walk miles upon miles in remembrance of fallen comrades. It was founded by two veteran Navy SEALs, originating as a mission to restore the true meaning of Memorial Day. Now, it has grown to include more than just our military members, letting people of different careers and backgrounds participate in their walks.

19-year-old Christian William, a native of Florida and going to College in Georgia, is currently a liaison for Carry the Load. He said, “I have friends who are in the Marine Corps, one in the Navy, and one in the Army. We walk for them, rain or shine. If you think about it, our soldiers have endured worse conditions than a little bit of rain, so it’s the least we can do to honor them and pay our respects.”

William went on to explain why he wants people to remember the true meaning of Memorial Day, “So when we begin this journey, we’re told that we have two deaths. Our first death, as you know, is the day we pass on from this life. But our second death is when people stop remembering us and stop saying our name. Memorial Day, to me, is the day that we get to make it where no hero dies at second death. We get to say their name and continue to honor them.”

Carry the Load walked from the Civic Center to the Forest Lawn Memorial Park, roughly four miles.

JT Bankhead was one of the walkers. Bankhead has been serving in the U.S. Army for 24 years and he said, “Everybody has their own feelings about Memorial Day and that’s fine, but to me, it’s just remembering the people who have fallen before and the people who fought for our freedoms and paid the ultimate price. It’s hard for some to understand. You can tell them all day long, but if you’ve never been through it, it’s hard to understand.”

Relay Manager and Bus Manager for the New England relay, Beth Sundquist, explained she’s in her third year doing these relays. She said, “It’s humbling to know I’m here today and can honor them. Carry the Load is just an awesome non-profit. During May, for Memorial Day, while we’re out here walking, 100% of funds that are donated go to 48 non-profits, which are heavily vetted.”

Sundquist told the Tribune that Carry the Load does five different routes throughout the United States, and that she will continue with the organization because she’s still here, “I’m gonna pay it forward and help those who can’t help themselves. I’m gonna give back, that’s what I do everyday, because I can. I can carry them on.”