May 22, 2024

Carry The Load passes through South Mississippi en route to Dallas as part of ‘Memorial May’

WLOX

By: Destiny Polster

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) – For one organization, Memorial Day is more than just one day.

Carry The Load celebrates “Memorial May” by walking a total of 20,000 miles across the country on five different routes. The group made their way through South Mississippi on Wednesday.

As many around the country prepare for a three-day weekend full of barbecues and social gatherings, Carry The Load asks that everyone keeps the true meaning of the holiday in mind.

“We would like to ask everyone to carve out a little bit of time that weekend to go visit a national cemetery, go honor veterans anywhere you can,” said Judd Word.

“To me, I think everybody at least takes one thing for granted a day or more,” said Mia McGurl. “We don’t really stop and appreciate and understand where that comes from, and that comes from all of our fallen soldiers and veterans and first responders.”

The East Coast route passing through South Mississippi began in West Point, N.Y., and will end in Dallas, Texas, where all route walkers meet for the final Memorial Day celebration.

“They are just so honored that we’re walking in honor of them or their mom or their dad or their fallen child,” explains McGurl. “They really thank us for what we’re doing, but in reality, we’re thanking them.”

But, what does “Carry The Load” mean? In this case, it’s metaphorical baggage that first responders and veterans may hold.

“They carry a weight that’s not always seen,” adds Word. “The idea of Carry The Load is come out, put a pack on, carry that weight, talk about who we lost and remember them and, like I said, help their family know that we’re still out here and we still care.”

Wednesday, the group walked three to five miles between the Biloxi National Cemetery and Pass Christian.

Carry The Load was founded by two Navy SEALs in 2011. The group has since celebrated Memorial May by walking and remembering.

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Carry The Load passes through South Mississippi en route to Dallas as part of ‘Memorial May’

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