'Carry the Load' comes to St. Louis to honor military, veterans and first responders

It's an 11,000-mile journey across America, handing off the American flag every five miles for 32 days.

"It's good for the friends and the families of the lost ones," Deleon said. "It means a lot. I've lost brothers on both sides of the spectrum and so, to me, this is a way to keep their memory alive. At the end of the day, they gave their life for others."

Deleon and other military veterans, first responders and just ordinary people are walking across the country to honor and remember those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom.

"It's the least we can do for them, is to keep talking about them year after year," Deleon said. "Every step of the way there has been a massive amount of support and we are eternally grateful."

Two Navy SEALs started "Carry the Load" in Dallas back in 2011. Since then, it has spread to 40 states.

"People need to be remembered. These individuals who died In combat, they shouldn't be forgotten," Iraqi war veteran Glen Dare said.

Veteran Navy SEAL David Gutierrez decided to join part of Saturday's journey from south St. Louis to downtown to remember his fellow service member and friend, St. Louis native Scotty Wirtz. Wirtz was one of four Americans killed in an explosion while conducting a patrol in Syria this past January.