LAUREL — The Mark Divine Courage Foundation is partnering with another nonprofit, Carry the Load, to honor fallen soldiers in Montana.
About 20 people joined in for the Carry the Load walk Tuesday afternoon in Laurel, the fifth time the event has come to town.
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Chad Kriskovich, a U.S. Navy veteran and Billings dentist, joined the walk and shared his motivation to participate.
“I'm carrying this one for everybody that I remember,” Kriskovich said.
Participants wore weighted vests to symbolize carrying the load as they walked to the Yellowstone National Cemetery.
“I initially had 25, and then I threw on another 25,” Kristovich added.
The two-mile walk included conversations about those who didn’t make it back home.
At the cemetery, flags waved next to the graves of fallen soldiers. Kriskovich talked about the importance of remembering those who fought for the country.
“The sacrifices that our military will make and have continued to make and have made is even more important for us to recognize. And we need to honor these people and continue to honor them throughout the years from now and later on,” Kriskovich said.
Kriskovich walked for his uncle, Ray, who was killed in Vietnam, and his shipmate, Phil, who was killed in Iraq.
Carry the Load aims to connect Americans to the sacrifices made by the military, veterans, first responders, and their families.
The Mark Divine Courage Foundation, which is based in California, was established to help mitigate post-traumatic stress through post-traumatic growth.
Jim Thompson, a member of the board of directors, emphasized the need for awareness of the walk.
“I think people really need to remember what makes this country great and who facilitated that and who gave us that opportunity to live in this great country and be free,” Thompson said.
He added that finding any way to help veterans is a good thing.
