Volunteers honor fallen service members at Georgia National Cemetery ahead of Memorial Day

Volunteers gathered Sunday morning at Georgia National Cemetery to honor fallen military service members ahead of Memorial Day as part of a nationwide remembrance effort led by the Travis Manion Foundation.  

The organization's annual "Honor Project" invited volunteers, veterans and family members to visit the gravesites of fallen service members, place commemorative tokens and pause for moments of reflection. Organizers said more than 3,000 volunteers were expected to participate at more than 75 cemeteries nationwide this Memorial Day weekend, honoring roughly 10,000 fallen heroes.  

"This is where we gather, we take a contemplated moment among the graves of fallen service members, and we lay a token in remembrance," Atlanta chapter leader Brian Schlund said during the event.  

According to organizers, families of fallen service members and battle buddies can request personal visits to a loved one's resting place through the program. Volunteers then fulfill those requests during Memorial Day weekend ceremonies across the country.  

Schlund said the event also serves as a way to educate younger generations about the meaning of Memorial Day and the sacrifices made by military families.

"It's important to do this because we have the opportunity to gather and remember what was sacrificed," he said. "It's a way to express our gratitude."  

The Travis Manion Foundation was founded in honor of 1st Lt. Travis Manion, a U.S. Marine killed in Iraq in 2007 while protecting wounded teammates. The organization's guiding phrase — "If Not Me, Then Who…" — continues to shape its mission of veteran service and youth leadership programs nationwide.  

The event in Canton began at 9 a.m. Sunday and included veterans, families of the fallen and community volunteers paying tribute ahead of Memorial Day.