‘Really emotional’: Raleigh veterans, families ensure fallen heroes are never forgotten

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Memorial Day is a somber reminder of the sacrifice military members make to this country. At the Historic Oakwood Cemetery in Raleigh, dozens of people worked to ensure military members buried there are never forgotten. 

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The adage that someone is only truly forgotten when people stop speaking their name was taken to heart on Monday. The name of every person engraved on the headstone in the Honor Field at the cemetery was read aloud to ensure they and their service are never forgotten.

“It’s sort of fitting that it’s raining today. It’s sort of a sad, affair as a veteran myself. It’s really hard,” said Chad Johnson, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Raleigh Chapter Leader for the Travis Manion Foundation. 

Memorial Day is an emotional holiday for him. 

“Survivor’s guilt hits hard, especially around this time of year,” Johnson said. “I’m still here and others aren’t. And so, when I speak their names and I’m here in this place, it just gets me really emotional,” he said. 

Some of that pain was softened by the people around him at the Oakwood Cemetery on Monday and by his involvement in the Travis Manion Foundation. The foundation focuses on empowering veterans and their families. They hosted their Annual Honor Project Monday.

“We have some folks who are military families but I think a lot of folks are just here because they recognize the importance of Memorial Day,” said Chris Jacobsen, regional coordinator for the Travis Manion Foundation.

Johnson, Jacobsen and dozens of volunteers placed plaques on each marble headstone, saying every service member’s name out loud, where they served and ending with a thank you.

“We think it’s important to remember all of our fallen heroes, their sacrifice that they made for our country, our freedoms, all of our values,” said Jacobsen. 

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The event also welcomed children who Jacobsen hopes will walk away with a better understanding of Memorial Day.

“They come to remember, ‘Hey, that one time when we went out to the cemetery and honored those service members.’ They recognize that sacrifice and they remember that going forward,” Jacobsen said. 

“If they’re out here spending time with us, that means they’re taking time away from somebody else and we’re incredibly grateful for that,” Johnson said. 

He believes every service member’s name needs to continue to be spoken out loud — even if the person speaking it didn’t know them.

“They had a story. And although sometimes it was unfinished, we’re here to remember that they did live,” he said. 

Johnson understands there are people who are struggling with life after the service. He wants those people to know they are not alone. He encourages them to join the Travis Manion Foundation or to reach out to any other veteran organization.

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