Carry The Load: Relay team honoring veterans - OKC, OK - News Article Locations on Waymarking.com

A rally was held at the Oklahoma Veterans Memorial (east of the State Capitol), to honor Veterans. Carry the Load will be making a stop in Oklahoma, and part of that journey will be a rally at the memorial.

Article transcription:

MARKIE: APPROACHING 9:12. HONOR AND CELEBRATE OUR NATION’S HEROES. THE ORGANIZATION CARRY THE LOAD AIMS TO CONNECT PEOPLE WITH OUR MILITARY MEMBERS AND VETERANS. COMING UP ON SATURDAY, A RELAY TEAM IS TRECKING NEARLY 4000 MILES. AND YOU CAN HELP THE TEAM AS THEY MAKE THEIR WAY THROUGH OKC. JOINING ME LIVE IN STUDIO THIS MORNING IS EVENT ORGANIZER MAC MULLINGS. SO GOOD TO SEE YOU. YOU ARE THE HUSBAND OF OUR ASSIGNMENT DESK MANAGER JAMIE.

Guest: I WAS GOING TO SAY, I DON’T KNOW IF I CAN SAY, YOUR ASSIGNMENT DESK EDITOR IS SMOKING.

MARKIE: THANK YOU FOR COMING IN.

Guest: I’M EXCITED ABOUT THIS. FOR THOUSAND MILES, THAT TAKES TEAMWORK. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THEY HAVE DONE THE MIDWEST RELAY, SO THE FIRST TIME THEY HAVE GONE THROUGH OKLAHOMA. WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A BIG IMPACT SATURDAY.

MARKIE: TALK MORE ABOUT CARRY THE LOAD, THE ORGANIZATION.

Guest: IT STARTED IN 2011, CREATED BY TWO NAVY SEALS WHO WERE PART ABOUT WATCHING MEMORIAL DAY BE COMMERCIALIZED BECAUSE IT IS NOT ABOUT BEERS AND BARBECUES, HARD DEALERSHIPS, BUT ABOUT THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE. ONE OF THE GUYS WAS HAVNG A CONVERSATION WITH A WORLD WAR II VET, AND ASKED, WHAT ARE YOU CARRYING? YOU DON’T HAVE A RUCKSACK, YOU ARE NOT CARING A BIG WEIGHTED S ACK, WHEN YOU ARE CARRYING THE MEMORY OF THOSE MEN AND WOMEN WHO GAVE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE. IF WE ALL DO THIS TREK, WE CAN PRESERVE WHAT MEMORIAL DAY IS ALL ABOUT.

MARKIE: WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL CONNECTION TO IT, ARE YOU A VETERAN

Guest: I AM NOT, BUT MY FATHER WAS THE FOUNDER OF THE OKLAHOMA VETERANS MEMORIAL. DAD WAS A MEDIC IN VIETNAM. AS A KID, I WATCHED HIM CREATE -- THAT MONUMENT WAS HIS BABY. UNFORTUNATELY, HE LEFT US IN DECEMBER 2017. CARRY THE LOAD SEEMED LIKE A NATURAL FIT, SO THAT IS MY CONNECTION.

MARKIE: SO SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS BUT WE THANK HIM FOR HIS SERVICE. WHERE DOES THIS BEGIN, WHERE DO THE 4000 MILES COME TO A FINISH?

Guest: THEY STARTED IN MINNEAPOLIS. RIGHT NOW THEY ARE IN KANSAS. IT WILL COME ALL THE WAY THROUGH OKLAHOMA, FINISHES IN DALLAS. THEY WILL HAVE A BIG CELEBRATION IN DALLAS. THEY STARTED WITH THE EAST COAST, THEN DID THE WEST. THEN THEY THOUGHT, HOW ABOUT THE MIDDLE?

MARKIE: LOOKING AT THE MAP, YOU CAN SEE IT. A PRETTY IMPRESSIVE JOURNEY.

Guest: I CANNOT WAIT.

MARKIE: ALL MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE SERVED.

Guest: FREE TO THE PUBLIC, KID FRIENDLY. IT WILL START ON SATURDAY, 11:45, WE MEET AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATION NUMBER FIVE, THEN WE WALKED TO THE OKLAHOMA VETERANS MEMORIAL. THEN THERE IS A RALLY FROM 12:30 UNTIL 1:30. WE HAVE A PINNING CEREMONY FOR VIETNAM VETERANS. WE ARE NOT GOING TO MAKE SURE AND VERIFY, BUT COME OUT. MY DAD WAS ONE, I KNOW THAT THEY DID NOT GET THE WELCOME HOME THAT THEY DESERVED.

MARKIE: SO POWERFUL. AS YOU HAVE BEEN SAYING, THIS IS ABOUT HONORING THE MEN AND WOMEN CURRENTLY SERVING, WHO HAVE SERVED IN THE PAST, GIVEN THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE. WHY WAS THIS THE WAY CHOSEN AS THE BEST DISPLAY OF THAT, WALKING WITH THIS RELAY TEAM?

Guest: THOSE TWO NAVY SEALS THAT STARTED IN 2011, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THEY WERE USED TO, WALKING. PHYSICAL PAIN MEANS PROGRESSION, GROWTH. EMOTIONAL STRENGTH. THAT WAS WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO. SO HOW CAN WE DISPLAY THAT THIS WAS ALL ABOUT DURING MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND? NOW EVERYBODY WANTS TO DO IT. MARKIE IF WE COME ACROSS THESE RELAY TEAMS -- HOPEFULLY, A LOT OF PEOPLE GET THE CHANCE TO MEET THESE MEN AND WOMEN -- WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE SAY TO THEM? SO OFTEN YOU SEE SOMEBODY IN THEIR MILITARY UNIFORM AND PEOPLE DON’T SAY ANYTHING BECAUSE THEY THINK THE WORDS WILL BE INSUFFICIENT TO THE SACRIFICE GIVEN. WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE?

Guest: BEING RAISED BY AN OLD ’NAM VET, I WOULD SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, BUT SPECIFICALLY FOR THE VIETNAM VETERANS, WELCOME HOME. MY DAD, WHEN THEY WERE ON THE WAY HOME TO SEATTLE, THE PILOT WAS SAYING, AVOID THESE GATES BECAUSE THE PROTESTERS ARE VIOLENT. THAT IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THEY DIDN’T GET THE RESPECT THEY NEEDED. WE LIVE IN A WOR -- IT IS A NONPARTISAN EVENT, IT IS ALL ABOUT THIS COUNTRY THAT WE LIVE IN, SHOWING LOVE.

MARKIE: JUST SAYING THANK YOU. YOU WERE MENTIONING MEMORIAL DAY IS NOT ABOUT THE BARBECUES, CELEBRATIONS. WHAT SHOULD BE TOP OF MIND AS WE ENTER THIS WEEKEND AND ALSO MONDAY?

Guest: TAKE TIME TO REFLECT. THAT IS WHAT I’LL BE DOING WITH MY FAMILY. I WILL BE VISITING DAD WHERE HE IS RESTING, LAY A WREATH. I KNOW IT IS BUSY AND YOU HAVE FUNCTIONS, BUT TAKE SOME TIME TO REFLECT, SAY A PRAYER. PRAY FOR THEIR SPIRIT. PRAY FOR THE ONES THAT ARE STILL HERE, FAMILIES THAT ARE TOUCHED. THIS IS A GREAT COUNTRY, WE FORGET.

MARKIE: I IMAGINE WE ARE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THE FORECAST. NOT ONLY HOT, BUT ALL OF THIS SEVERE WEATHER.

Guest: THINGS LOOK PRETTY GOOD. THE RAIN SHOULD BE EARLIER BUT 60% SUNSHINE. WE WILL LOOK AT IT THAT WAY.

MARKIE: GLASS HALF-FULL KIND OF OUTLOOK. ONCE THEY ARRIVE IN DALLAS, IS THAT THE BIG PARTY? HOW DO THEY CELEBRATE?

Guest: I AM SURE IT WILL BE ONE THAT WILL BLOW THE ROOF OFF THE JOINT, SO TO SPEAK. OVER 11,50 MILES FOR THE MIDWEST RELAY TEAM ALONE. EAST AND WEST WILL BE MEETING UP. IT WILL BE AWESOME.

MARKIE: HOW LONG DID THIS TAKE?

Guest: THEY STARTED IN 2011. THIS ONE? THEY STARTED IN MAY. MAY 1, THEY WERE BOOTS ON THE GROUND. I DO WANT TO SAY, SINCE 2011, THEY HAV RAISED $21.7 MILLION. 94% OF THAT GOES TO HELP VETERA, AWARENESS, EDUCATION. I AM IN RECOVERY, SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO ME THAT IT GOES TO MENTAL HEALTH, ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THAT.

MARKIE: THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE ARE EXCITED TO HAVE YOU BE A PART OF THE EXTENDED FAMILY AND CONGRATULATIONS ON THE NEW BABY. WE ARE STILL WAITING TO MEET HER, BY THE WAY.

Type of publication: Television When was the article reported?: 05/24/2019 Publication: KOCO News 5 Article Url: [Web Link] Is Registration Required?: no How widespread was the article reported?: local News Category: Society/People

Visit Instructions:
Give the date of your visit at the news location along with a description of what you learned or experienced.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   07/08/2020 The Snowdog visited it 02/18/2020 Rock Chalk visited it 05/27/2019 Max and 99 visited it 04/17/2018 Jamboree_009 visited it

View all visits/logs