Placement Partners – Sgt. Jamaal Wheaton

Jamaal Wheaton – Placement partner

My name is Jamaal Wheaton. I am currently serving on active duty in the United States Army. As a veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan I have been involved in combat and served alongside of incredible men and women who sacrificed for the freedoms that we enjoy in this great country. Many veterans carry the names of the fallen on their hearts with a heavy burden to carry a legacy that must live on. It is a legacy that is steeped in tradition and lives in the spirit of our National Cemeteries. It is this legacy that drew me to the mission behind Remember Heroes.

On February 19th 2006, I realized how close the loss of a comrade could really come when I lost three very good friends after a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq hit their vehicle. It was a moment that would forever change the lives of many people surrounding them. Regardless of the circumstances in which we lose someone, we know that they dedicated their life for a greater cause. In some cases, they have given the ultimate sacrifice for this country. For that we owe the utmost respect, honor and admiration. 

In May 2013, I was reassigned to the Pentagon. I spent my Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery where the honor and reverence for the sacrifices that our men and women in uniform are so beautifully present. It is an honor for me to be able to partner with an organization like Remember Heroes in order to honor my own comrades in their final resting place.  To me, every headstone has a story and every story has a family. With each placement I make, I know I am paying homage to the person as well as sharing a little piece of Arlington with someone who deserves to see it.

Related articles

• Remains Of MIA Memphis Airman Found (wreg.com)
• VIDEO: Veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq visit Arlington Cemetery on 9/11 (sacbee.com)
• WWII Airmen Valorie Pollard, Dominick Licari To Get Arlington Burial (huffingtonpost.com)
• Arlington National Cemetery Goes Digital (eogn.com)
• Dana Milbank: What Arlington could tell Obama (lacrossetribune.com)
• Pentagon employee fired after blowing the whistle on financial mismanagement at Arlington Cemetery (voiceofrussia.com)
• Daily Writing Prompt: I Pledge Allegiance (charlieray45.wordpress.com)
• There’s a “Fake” Flame at JFK’s Gravesite While the Real Flame Is Rehabbed (washingtonian.com)
• VIDEO: Veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq visit Arlington Cemetery on 9/11 (miamiherald.com)
• SmartSign Commemorates Men and Women in the Armed Forces This Memorial Day (smartsign.com)