Memorial Day is a day of remembrance to honor the brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country. It is a time to reflect on the sacrifices of our fallen heroes and to pay tribute to their legacy of courage, dedication and selflessness.

That is why VA’s National Cemetery Administration is partnering with Carry The Load this year. Together, the goal is to honor and remember Veterans interred in VA National Cemeteries.

Carry The Load, an organization dedicated to remembering the fallen, will visit 34 VA National Cemeteries traveling 20,000 miles along five separate routes covering all continental 48 states in what is known as the National Relay for Memorial May 2024.

Along the five routes, many marchers will carry signs, banners and flags honoring a fallen service member, Veteran or first responder.

Find out when & where the National Relay will be in a city near you as supporters and volunteers walk through 48 states & hundreds of communities to honor our nation’s heroes. The list of national cemeteries, along with the dates and times that they will be visited can be found below, or at Memorial May 2024 – National Cemetery Administration (va.gov). Those wishing to participate in a march are asked to register in advance. No donation is required to participate.

West Coast Route

• May 2, 2024, 6:30 – 7:00 p.m. PT: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – Kent, WA
• May 3, 2024, 11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PT: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – Happy Valley, OR
• May 6, 2024, 6:30 – 8:00 a.m. PT: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – Sausalito, CA
• May 10, 2024, 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. PT: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – Los Angeles, CA
• May 11, 2024, 6:45 – 7:45 a.m. PT: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – San Diego, CA
• May 12, 2024, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. PT: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – Riverside, CA
• May 14, 2024, 8:15 – 9:30 a.m. MT:  Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – Prescott, AZ
• May 16, 2024, 3:45 – 5:00 p.m. MT: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – El Paso, TX

New England Route

• May 13, 2024, 11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – Knoxville, TN
• May 16, 2024, 9:15 – 10:00 a.m. ET: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – Marietta, GA
• May 21, 2024, 11:15 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. CT: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – Little Rock, AR

Mountain Route

• May 16, 2024, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. MT: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – Sturgis, SD
• May 17, 2024, 12:15 – 2:30 p.m. MT: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – Laurel, MT
• May 22, 2024, 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. MT: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – Denver, CO
• May 23, 2024, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. MT: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – Colorado Springs, CO

Midwest Route

• May 8, 2024, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. CT: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – Milwaukee, WI
• May 16, 2024, 9:45 – 11:00 a.m. ET: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – Dayton, OH
• May 17, 2024, 9:45  – 10:45 a.m. ET: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – Louisville, KY
• May 19, 2024, 7:30 – 8:30 a.m. CT: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – St. Louis, MO
• May 21, 2024, 2:15 – 3:00 p.m. CT: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – Omaha, NE
• May 22, 2024, 7:45 – 9:30 a.m. CT: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – Leavenworth, KS

East Coast Route

• May 4, 2024, 7:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – Catonsville, MD
• May 4, 2024, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. ET: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – Annapolis, MD
• May 5, 2024, 1:45 – 2:45 p.m. ET: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – Alexandria, VA
• May 6, 2024, 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. ET: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – Culpeper, VA
• May 9, 2024, 9:15 – 10:00 a.m. ET: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – Raleigh, NC
• May 16, 2024, 8:15 – 10:30 a.m. ET: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – Sarasota, FL
• May 17, 2024, 12:15 – 1:00 p.m. ET:  Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – St. Petersburg, FL
• May 18, 2024, 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. ET: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – Bushnell, FL
• May 21, 2024, 3:45 – 6:00 p.m. ET: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – Pensacola, FL
• May 22, 2024, 8:15 – 9:15 a.m. CT: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – Biloxi, MS
• May 23, 2024, 4:15 – 5:00 p.m. ET: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – Baton Rouge, LA
• May 25, 2024, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. CT: Carry The Load’s Memorial May Campaign – Houston, TX

VA encourages all Americans to honor a fallen service member by leaving a tribute on the Veteran’s personal memorial page at VA’s Veterans Legacy Memorial (VLM).

For more information please visit: Memorial May 2024 – National Cemetery Administration (va.gov).