A blanket of red, white and blue covered Reverchon Park in Dallas as thousands gathered for the closing ceremonies of Carry the Load — a Memorial Day tribute honoring military veterans and first responders who died in service. The annual event marked 15 years since Carry the Load began as an effo rt to refocus Memorial Day on remembrance and sacrifice. Each flag displayed across the park represented a service member or first responder who paid the ultimate price. “I would love for our nation to no longer need heroes, but we’re always gonna need heroes, and how we do days where we celebrate our heroes has a lot to do with how long we’ll have them,” said Clint Bruce, co-founder of Carry the Load. Bruce said the organization was born out of frustration over how Memorial Day was being observed. “I was angry because we weren’t doing Memorial Day well, and I was angry because I hadn’t started doing Memorial Day well until I started losing my friends, either, and to me the antidote to anger has always been action,” Bruce said. That action has grown into thousands of people walking together in solemn tribute while carrying the memory of those lost in service. Participants said the event carries deep personal meaning, even for those who never served themselves. “Oh, it’s emotional. Even though I didn’t serve in the military, a lot of my family did, and some are not here anymore,” said Carry the Load participant Justin Ridnour. Bruce said seeing the crowds gather each year sends a powerful message to veterans and families of the fallen. “I can’t be angry because I think no one remembers my friends anymore — it’s impossible. I mean, eight out of every 10 people here is a great American citizen, not even a veteran, and the seed of anger for a lot of veterans is we don’t think America cares, and you can’t legitimately feel that way after this,” Bruce said. Children, families, Scout volunteers and military veterans all took part in the Memorial Day tribute together. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC DFW. AI tools helped convert the story into a digital article, and an NBC DFW journalist edited it again before publication. ...read more read less