Memorial Day Archives - Page 2 of 47

September 11, 2025

Non-profit continues Patriots Day tradition by cleaning military graves at Cave Hill Cemetery

WAVE 3 News

By: Rob Wells

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Simple ingredients like soap, water, and a brush make the difference in honoring brave men and women who fought, and continue to fight, for our freedom.

The non-profit Carry the Load is once again cleaning grave markers of military members across the nation this Patriots Day.

Today, that effort was in full swing at Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville.

When you ask US Navy SEAL veteran Steven Holly about Patriots Day and the 24th anniversary of 9/11, his emotions are tough to hide.

Watch the story here.

September 11, 2025

Volunteers clean up Cave Hill Cemetery in honor of fallen veterans

Spectrum News 1

By: Tanner Gilmartin

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Spectrum News 1) - Carry the Load is leading efforts to honor veterans at Cave Hill Cemetery.

Debbie Stritenberger is one of a few volunteers sprucing up the gravesites of who those who served.

“Some of us are cleaning, some of us are straightening, some of us are mulching. It’s just all kinds of things going on,” she said.

She’s retired and has been volunteering since 2023, but it’s her first time volunteering with Carry the Load.

Stritenberger said she discovered the organization while scrolling through Facebook.

“I do not have any military people in my immediate family, but I do appreciate all of these lives that were given so that we can be able to live in this country and say and do the things that we want to do. And this is a great way to give back,” she said.

She made it her intention to volunteer on Sept. 11 to honor the veterans.

“With all the sadness that’s been going on the last couple of days, I needed to do something positive. So this is where I’m at,” she said.

It’s been over two decades since the world-altering actions of the 2001 terror attacks, but Stritenberger sees there’s still so much that could be better in the country as the U.S. honors those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Watch the story here.

September 11, 2025

High school volunteers clean headstones in honor of Patriot Day

WDTV

By: Tanner Gilmartin

GRAFTON, W.Va (WDTV) - For the 24th year in a row, thousands joined ‘Carry the Load’, a national non-profit veteran and first responder service organization in it’s Patriot Day event. Patriot Day, honors the lives lost in the September 11th Terrorist Attacks in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Volunteers cleaned headstones and beautified grounds at 70 national cemeteries across the country, and it was no different in West Virginia. Over 40 students, 10th through 12th grade from Grafton High School joined to honor fallen service members at the West Virginia National Cemetery in Grafton. One of those students, senior Damien Reseter reflects on the message behind today’s service.

“It’s as much respect that I can show,” said Reseter. “Since they’re not with us anymore, I can’t show them any physical respect, this is as best as I can. “It helps gather us all together.”

Damien and his peers walked through the 1,800 headstones in the upper section of the cemetery with a bucket of soapy water and a brush, and while he put all his effort into each headstone he scrubbed, there was one that may have gotten a little extra care. His Great Grandmother, Freda June, was married to a Navy Veteran is buried in the cemetery along with his uncle who served in the Marines. This displaying the importance of the annual trip to Damien and his other classmates, like Kaige Andrews who even with a different background, echoes a similar message of togetherness.

“It’s a good feeling to see everyone together,” said Andrews. “Everyone comes from different backgrounds, I’m part of the FFA, so we’re agriculture. There is a bunch of kids from the computer side and the business side. “We all put that behind ourselves and put what needs done first.”

Watch the story here.

September 11, 2025

Volunteers honor fallen veterans at MKE’s Wood National Cemetery on September 11

Newsbreak

By: Gideon Verdin

MILWAUKEE (Newsbreak) – At Wood National Cemetery in Milwaukee, volunteers gathered on September 11 to clean veterans' headstones in a simple but heartfelt gesture honoring the fallen on a day of remembrance.

Time has worn on the stones — but not the sacrifice. On the anniversary of September 11th, volunteers came with one mission: honor the fallen.

"We owe the veterans a lot. We owe our freedom to the veterans," said Mary Dutkiewicz, a retired VA nurse.

"It's what we're supposed to do. It's part of the social contract to live in a free country — you have to be willing to do some things not for profit," said BJ Ganem with Carry The Load.

Ganem lost his leg in Iraq in 2004, but that never stopped him from moving with purpose. With his prosthetic, he continues to lead — organizing this event as a tribute to the brothers he lost and a call for others to serve in their memory.

"I'm not special. I'm proud of my service, but it doesn't make me special," Ganem said. "Another complete and total stranger that has served before us is at least getting a clean headstone, and their memory isn't gonna fade away."

Mike Skaar, a Marine veteran, served alongside Ganem in the U.S. Marines. On this September 11, their message is simple: honor through action.

Volunteers honor fallen veterans at Wood National Cemetery on September 11th

"There's a story behind every one of these names. We lost five good guys in our unit, not a day goes by I don't think of them," Skaar said.

"Seeing these grave stones is really touching. Anything I can do to help out and play my part, that's what I'm willing to do," Skaar said.

Wood National Cemetery has stood since the Civil War. More than 37,000 veterans are buried here — but for those scrubbing, each headstone is special.

"That's why they went out there. They were proud of their country," Dutkiewicz said.

"It gives you hope, especially in this time where we're so divisive, to see the most amount of volunteers in the four years we've been doing this. Gives me a lot of hope," Ganem said.

September 11, 2025

Quad Cities volunteers honor patriots on Arsenal cemetery: ‘My dad would do this for me’

KWQC

By: Aaron Thompson

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (KWQC) – Dozens of volunteers gathered Wednesday at Rock Island National Cemetery, spending Sept. 11 anniversary honoring the fallen by cleaning headstones and tending to sacred grounds.

Among those volunteering was Elizabeth Fox, who says she wanted her actions to speak louder than words.

“My dad and my grandpa are both veterans,” Fox said. “I know my dad would do this for me, and I’m going to let my actions speak for me today.”

The Rock Island event was one of dozens nationwide, giving the Quad Cities community an active way to remember 9/11 while preserving the legacy of the heroes who served.

For National Cemetery director Matt Tomes, seeing the community come together carries deep meaning.

“People come out and pay their respects and honor the folks that paid the ultimate sacrifice,” Tomes said.

“Helping beautify the place, cleaning the headstones - it’s all about remembering the people that didn’t come home, or the ones that came home but not 100%.”

The event was part of Carry The Load’s nationwide Patriots Day effort, with service projects at nearly 70 cemeteries across the country.

Carry The Load was founded by two Navy SEALs to organize community service events each Patriots Day, Veterans Day, and Memorial Day to ensure sacrifices are remembered for generations.

To learn more or register for upcoming opportunities, visit carrytheload.org.

Watch the story here.

September 11, 2025

Volunteers mark 9/11 anniversary, beautify grounds at Portland’s national cemetery

The Oregonian

By: Tatum Todd

PORTLAND, Ore. (The Oregonian) – Bearing rakes, pressure hoses and brushes, about 50 volunteers converged on Portland’s Willamette National Cemetery under a cloudy sky on Thursday.

They came on the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks to beautify the grounds where more than 180,000 servicemembers are interred.

The effort — organized by Carry the Load, a nonprofit veterans and first-responder support group — isn’t limited to the Portland area. Thousands of volunteers are expected to attend similar events at almost 70 national cemeteries across the country.

Carry the Load said in a statement that the organization has been organizing cemetery cleanups on 9/11 since 2019, as a remembrance for the first responders who died in the 2001 terror attacks, as well as for the armed servicemembers who died in the conflicts that followed.

The event at Willamette National ran from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with volunteers cleaning memorials, pressure-washing benches and raking leaves around some of the expansive cemetery’s mausoleums.

After the group gathered for instructions and opening remarks at the cemetery’s Korean War Memorial, the volunteers split into groups to care for different parts of the grounds.

“I have a lot of family members that have served, and I just enjoy being able to [pay] my respects and keep their memories alive,” said Lisa Schilling, who has participated in Carry the Load events for several years. “For me, it’s important to just stop and think about those that have given their all and the innocent people whose lives were taken too short.”

For Schilling, the anniversary of 9/11 always feels personal: one of her high school classmates was killed in Iraq in 2003 after the U.S. invaded the country during the “War on Terror” in the aftermath of the deadly terrorist attacks.

“It’s always been a difficult time of year,” Schilling said as she leaned on a rake Thursday morning. “Just to kind of think about how much our world has changed.”

September 11, 2025

Carry the Load’s National Day of Service and Remembrance honors veterans, 9/11 victims

WAND News

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND News) – Volunteers in Springfield honored those who made the ultimate sacrifice as part of Carry the Load's National Day of Service and Remembrance.

The annual Patriot Day event took place Thursday at Camp Butler National Cemetery in Springfield, with volunteers cleaning headstones and helping maintain the grounds during the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Almost 70 national cemeteries nationwide participated in the day of service.

Carry the Load said in a press release that Patriot Day honors the lives lost in the attacks, those who died in the line of duty and the first responders who have died from post-9/11-related illnesses.

"Patriot Day is a powerful reminder of the courage and sacrifice shown by our first responders and military on 9/11 and beyond. By coming together to serve our communities and honor stories of the fallen, we ensure their legacy lives on, and we remind ourselves that freedom is never free," said Stephen Holley, co-founder, president, and CEO of Carry The Load, in a statement.

Additional information on Carry the Load's mission and upcoming events is online.

September 11, 2025

Locals volunteer to help clean headstones of fallen military

News 9

By: Cooper Wild

HARSHAW, Wis. (News 9) – Locals gathered at Northwoods National Cemetery for a day of honor and remembrance. They participated in the annual tradition of cleaning gravestones.

Three years ago, the cemetery in Harshaw began this tradition in partnership with 'Carry the Load', a nonprofit organization that helps remember fallen military members. Each year on the anniversary of September 11, volunteers come out to work and pay their respects.

"What somebody intends for evil, God will always use for good. So by having individuals come out here to Northwoods National Cemetery, our Veterans cemetery. To help do some work around here, it ensures some good has come out of that evil act," Bryon Gleisner, manager of the cemetery and U.S. Air Force veteran, said.

Volunteers cleaned each gravestone by hand, ensuring they were well cared for. One volunteer traveled all the way from Green Bay to participate in the event.

"I'm usually enthusiastic and excited about helping out any Veteran I can, especially when it comes to a cemetery. I feel like it's a chance for me to actually give back to those who actually lost their lives. It's a small way I can do something whether it be planting grass seed or cleaning headstones. As soon as I heard about it I jumped on," Cody Smith, who served active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps, said.

'Carry the Load's' annual Patriot Day event spans the nation, with Northwoods National Cemetery being one of 70 national cemeteries cleaned in honor of September 11th. Gleisner expressed gratitude for the community's appreciation of the cemetery.

"I think having a Veterans Cemetery here means a lot to the community, and I've seen that. I know when they come out they are responding to that call to do something good to honor our Veterans, to honor our First Responders. That's to me what it's all about," Gleisner said.

The event was a mix of emotions for the volunteers, who came to support a noble cause while remembering a tragic day in history.

September 11, 2025

Volunteers Clean Headstones for 9/11 Day of Service

WDEF

September 11, 2025

Baltimore community honors lives lost in 9/11 attacks by cleaning headstones

CBS News

By: Ashley Paul

BALTIMORE (CBS News) – On Thursday, as the U.S. marked 24 years since the September 11, 2021, terror attacks, Baltimore neighbors remembered the lives lost by doing good for the community.

Janice Damon was at the Baltimore National Cemetery Thursday with one person on her mind.

"My husband was a veteran," she told WJZ. "He passed away 14 years ago from complications from Agent Orange in Vietnam."

Damon was one of nearly 70 volunteers who spent the day cleaning headstones of fallen veterans in honor of the 24th remembrance of the 9/11 attacks.

"After 9/11, I think there was a big call to serve or call to honor those who protect us," she said. "So that's why I'm here."

Damon was joined by Joseph Ashburn, who is a Marine veteran.

Ashburn was deployed in Turkey when the attacks happened, and said 9/11 helped shape him into the man he is today.

"If you don't know where you come from, you don't know where you're going," Ashburn said. "All these people out here, they gave it all up for regular American life."

Thursday's volunteer work is a part of the annual Carry the Load event, which brings volunteers to more than 70 national cemeteries to help clean and straighten headstones and beautify the grounds.

Marine veteran Allen Dudley said it serves as a chance to remember the hardships of war by honoring and remembering those who fought in it.

"I've been calling their names out to myself, every one, I do," Dudley said. "And the way we're working out here, no tombstone will be left behind. So, that's why I say we have to keep going and no person being left behind out here, it's important that we do it."

The Baltimore National Cemetery holds similar events throughout the year as a chance to honor veterans, not just on notable days, but every day.

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