Lance Corporal Zachary Vaughn Gladstone enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in December 2012, and was stationed in Twentynine Palms, California. He deployed to Afghanistan in March of 2014 where he remained for six months. He was medically discharged in March of 2015, then moved to Pennsylvania. Zachary struggled with demons that followed him from Afghanistan, and he ended his own life in 2017.

Zachary impacted so many people during the 25 years he was alive, and he has impacted even more lives since his death. He would light up a room, just by simply being there. After his passing, there were countless calls, messages, and letters from people who wanted to share their stories about Zachary.

Zachary left everything better than it was before he found it. Everyone’s lives have been enriched because of the time they shared with him, and they will continue to grow because of Zachary. He was laid to rest at Fort Jackson National Cemetery, Columbia, South Carolina.