Ozark Mountain Veterans, an area 501(c)(3) independent nonprofit veterans’ organization, has undertaken the task of interring 25 unclaimed military marker stones in time for Memorial Day at graves of those who have served.
The stones are offered to families of every veteran by the federal government through Nelson’s Funeral Home locally. Families may order a granite or bronze stone to be picked up and placed at the gravesite. But for various reasons several stones go unclaimed over the years.
“We usually install stones regularly for the families,” explained OMV board member Vince Eastwood, “and to date we’ve placed about 100 stones. But these 25 stones have not been claimed by anyone. Nelson’s asked if we could take over placing them. One dates all the way back to a veteran who died in 1998 at age 92, so it’s possible there was no family left to claim the stone. We offered to take over these stones also.”
We spoke with Eastwood, a retired sergeant and veteran of Desert Shield and Desert Storm; Lt. Col. Steve Marionneaux (Ret.); Army Specialist Mark Pepple, and Sgt. Travis Wolfe (Ret.), as they were installing stones at Eureka Springs Cemetery, only one of several area cemeteries on their May agenda.
“We first try to reach out to the family and invite them to be present,” Marionneaux said.
But when no family is present, the group still conducts the stone placement with respect and courtesy. If the gravesite has a headstone, the military stone is set as a footstone. If not, it becomes the headstone. Once the stone is placed, a moment of silence and a salute are followed by a solemn, “Thank you for your service.”
Making sure no veteran is left unthanked or without appreciation is only one goal of this dedicated band of brothers who volunteer and help other organizations in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas whenever they can.
In 2018 OMV began offering the successful Reboot program for vets, which now has more than 13,000 graduates worldwide.
“Carroll County has more vets per capita than any other county in Arkansas,” Eastwood said. “Our 12-week Reboot Recovery course deals with and provides answers for the tough problems veterans may be facing. We have watched it rebuild families and we know it saves lives. We are all members of the American Legion post 9, Walker Williams Post, and we pay a year membership for every veteran that graduates Reboot. We also take veterans on hunts and fishing trips throughout the year. We have a screen print shop for tee shirts and hats, an acre garden, and a worm farm selling bait and worm castings for fertilizer.
“We also offer a Reboot for first responders and a Reboot advance as a follow up to Reboot. I believe the trauma our first responders have is no different than the trauma we saw in combat.”
Find out more at Ozark Mountain Veterans on Facebook, email omvhunts@hotmail.com or call (870) 480-2057.