We Remember: A Memorial Day Tradition

When Will Hearn was in the first grade, he and his father, John, began what would become a powerful Memorial Day tradition of placing American flags at Marietta National Cemetery. Inspired by the life and sacrifice of Lt. Tyler Hall Brown – the son of John’s business partner Carey “Buzz” Brown and his wife Sally – what started as a simple act of service quickly became something much deeper.

On that first Memorial Day, as they waited for the official ceremony to begin, Will and his dad wandered through the cemetery and decided to take a photo of Will placing a flag to send to Buzz as a tribute to Tyler. As they searched for a fitting marker, John noticed the name Jeffrey Steven Blanton – a soldier killed in action in Iraq just months after Tyler’s death in 2004.

We Remember

Mr. Hearn recalls saying, “Will, let’s pick this marker for a photo to send to Buzz, because this war hero’s tragedy was around the same time as Tyler.” They took the photo and sent it to Buzz with a simple but heartfelt message: “We remember,” marking the start of a tradition that continues to this day.

Each year, hundreds of observers with dozens of Scouts among them attend the Memorial Day Ceremony at the Marietta National Cemetery to place flags and honor those who gave their lives in service of our country.

Over the next several years, Will and his father would return to Marietta National Cemetery to place flags in honor of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Every year, they would take a moment to share a photo with Buzz at Jefferey Steven Blanton’s memorial with the caption: “We remember.”

Except One

Years later, during one of the formal Memorial Day ceremonies, the cemetery historian spoke of the 18,000+ heroes buried at Marietta and shared a surprising fact: since the 1970s, no service member killed in active-duty combat had been laid to rest there.

Will and his father exchanged puzzled looks. That can’t be right, they thought. What about Jeffrey Blanton?

And then, the historian paused…“Except one,” he said.

In that instant, Will and John knew, and a chill went up and down their spines. The historian confirmed what they had quietly honored for years: Jeffrey Steven Blanton was the lone exception of an active-duty casualty buried at Marietta National Cemetery since the 1970s.

A 'God Wink'

Why was he the exception? Because years earlier, as a young Scout, Jeffrey had stood on those same grounds, placing flags on the graves of fallen heroes.

A Scout. A soldier. A hero remembered – not just by family, but by strangers who chose his marker out of 18,000.

“Except One,” indeed.

Will and his father believe this wasn’t just a coincidence. They call it a “God Wink” – a quiet nudge from Jeffrey and Tyler, reminding us all to honor, to reflect, and to say, "We remember".