May 27, 2024

Little Rock National Cemetery hosts solemn Memorial Day tribute with veteran insights

ABC 7 KATV

By: Daniela Dehaghani

Today marks Memorial Day, a solemn occasion observed throughout the nation to pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country.

At the Little Rock National Cemetery today, family members gathered to honor their fallen loved ones, adorning the headstones with American flags in remembrance. KATV spoke with Beth Sundquist from the veterans’ charity organization ‘Carry The Load‘ about the importance of the holiday. She tells us it is a very humbling holiday and an experience that, as a veteran, she will never regret.

“Memorial Day is to me, it is just a humbling holiday because I’m still here on Earth and they’re not. You’re honoring and remembering the ones that gave the ultimate sacrifice.”

Sundquist spoke about the importance of today and how it is a marker of paving the way for our freedom.

“We are here today because they were here before us and they gave the ultimate sacrifice or while we were here, and that ultimate sacrifice is giving us what we can have today.”

She hopes that in the future, barriers such as mental health stigmas can be dropped so that more veterans can receive help if they need it. The organization also strives to make the program readily accessible to support families struggling with the loss of a loved one.

She tells us it is a form of trauma, in itself, losing someone that you have worked with and seen every day – which is why she says their name to “keep them alive”.

“If you don’t personally know anyone, research someone that was a vet and find out what they did, how they died, tell their story, say their name. You’ll sit there and you’ll be walking around and all of a sudden, you’ll have flashbacks of their memories. It gets you sad because I don’t have that person around anymore. People quit jobs all the time, but these people didn’t quit, they died or were killed in action. You’ll never see them again. It adds to the trauma if you’re there when it happens, too. It will eventually lead to more trauma if you don’t take care of your mental wellbeing immediately.”

Sundquist tells us there is a major stigma with getting help in the service, and most individuals would rather go to other methods for relief.

“They’re not fixing the actual problem, but really creating another problem. That’s where the departments in the military have failed because we don’t have ready access to counseling. Alcoholism, drug addictions are high because they are readily available.”

Organizations like ‘Carry The Load‘ help veterans and their families cope with trauma and grief.

She hopes that in the future, the stigma can be dropped so that more veterans can be helped if they need it. There is still hope that these departments and resources can help those in need, along with their families to cope with trauma, grieving, and loss.

“That’s where the military needs to be proactive,” says Sundquist. “The agency that I retired from saw a high rise in alcoholism. It takes a lot of time and money, around $175,000, just for the initial cost to get them through the door. Then all of a sudden you have someone that starts numbing and go down that path, it can lead to drunk driving, accidents, or even death. If not physical death, a death of their career because of DUIs.”

Having outlets to help officers in the line of duty can help them save themselves and protect others and their careers.

“The agency has done a wellness unit to help officers. They now have enacted a policy that if that officer comes forward and says they are an addict, instead of using your vacation or comp time, they will give you 30 days to go to rehab and get clean, without charging you time. Having a safe place to be able to be honest and receive help is a great thing.”

“To be able to think with a clear mind and make better judgement calls, would be a great movement. The military needs to be more proactive than reactive in these situations.”

“Sable Warrior is a very intense, four-day program, with free housing and food for veterans struggling to cope,” Sundquist details. “The program helps you realize the trauma, how to deal with it, most importantly – how to heal. Once you go through it, it has all the of the other program available to direct you to. They’re a phone call away. If they can’t make it, they will send someone that will help you.”

Sundquist tells us mental health has always taken a back seat and now it’s coming forward. “I commend those who take that and run with it and start being proactive. If you’re reactive, you’ve already probably lost that person. Being proactive will stop the bad action, by providing them a safe place to be real.”

She says that if you want to support veterans on Memorial Day, “Put a flag out. If you see a veteran, thank them. If you see a gold star family, reach out to them and say thank you for their family member’s sacrifice for us. A simple thank you is enough. Just the fact that you take out the time to say thank you if enough. The outpower of community support is empowering. The look in their eyes, the tears, it’s heartfelt.”

Sundquist tells us there are two deaths in life, the day you physically die and the day we quit saying their name.

“That’s what Memorial Day is all about. We say their name, keep them living. We can do that for the ones that lost their loved ones in war. What I can say is: Master Sergeant Kenneth N. Mack, killed in action, May 5, 2007 in Al Ambar Province. I say his name, he’s not going to die a second death. His name is there.”

View the full story here.

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Little Rock National Cemetery hosts solemn Memorial Day tribute with veteran insights

ABC 7 KATV

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