ST. PETE., Fla. — Among those buried and interred at Bay Pines National Cemetery, you’ll find the name of Marine Sgt. Anthony Muhlstadt.
“He was kind. He was loving. He was a true patriot,” said his mother, Tanya Mort.
WATCH: Mother of fallen Marine makes sure other veterans are remembered too
“He had wanted to serve in our military since he was five years old. So, he was our hero,” she said.
Anthony, who died by suicide in 2021, has his mom and friends to visit.
Many veterans here do not.
That’s where the volunteers from the Travis Manion Foundation come in.
They call them Spartans.
“The Spartans will come out and lay a plaque and say their name, remember them, thank them for their service. And if they have a little bit, Google their name, find something out about them,” Mort said.
Retired Marine Jeff Cole says the Travis Manion Foundation’s mantra of “If not me, then who?” really resonates with him.
“And then the Gold Star aspect of it that he was killed in action and so really working with those families, they struggle with that burden each and every day,” said Cole.
The organization helps support veterans and military families in many ways.
Coming here on Memorial Day is just one of them.
Catherine Moore-Brown and Henry Echenique didn’t know any of those buried here personally, but say they are honored to recognize them.
“It’s beautiful to be able to give back in such a way. This is not a holiday about barbecuing. It’s about celebrating those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to have the freedoms that we have,” Moore-Brown said.
“It’s very very important to remember them and say their names. It’s important to say their names and keep their memories alive and honoring those that sacrificed,” said Mort.
Tanya says being here for all the veterans brings her comfort in the wake of losing her son.
“He lived a life of service. So I think it’s important that I carry on that legacy for him, so that’s why I’m out here today,” Mort said.
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