Veterans honored with memorial reef burial off NC coast

CAROLINA BEACH, NC (WWAY) — Families of fallen veterans gathered Monday off the North Carolina coast to honor their loved ones during a memorial at sea, giving nine service members a final resting place beneath the Atlantic Ocean.

The ceremony was part of Veterans Memorial Reef, an artificial reef project that combines memorials with marine conservation efforts. A few miles offshore, the cremated remains of nine veterans were lowered to the ocean floor inside concrete memorial structures designed to create habitat for marine life while serving as permanent tributes.

As the memorials were lowered into the water, family members aboard nearby boats held individual services honoring each veteran.

Thomas Marcinowski, founder and CEO of Veterans Memorial Reef, said the ocean holds a special significance for many veterans, making it a meaningful final resting place.

“A lot of veterans want to be placed at sea, so this is a way of them not only getting closure, but getting them out onto the ocean where they wanted to be. The other part of that is veterans continue to serve the country. They are now on an artificial reef where you are going to provide growth, fish, everything else to keep serving the nation,” said Marcninowski.

Among those honoring a loved one was Martha Gabriel, whose father, Wade Huffstetler, served in the Navy during World War II. She said the memorial reflected both his service and his connection to the water.

“He would have loved this because of the Navy aspect and the water,” said Gabriel.

Marcinowski, a U.S. veteran himself, said the reef also serves another purpose: preserving the stories and legacies of veterans who may not have surviving family members.

“We have veterans out there who had no family that we’ve placed out there that will never be forgotten for what they did for their country,” said Marcinowski.

One of those veterans was John Fryar, who served during World War II and the Korean War.

Steve Muir with the Saint James American Legion Post said honoring Fryar reflected the group’s mission to ensure no veteran is forgotten.

“We wanted to see, based on his service, that he had a proper burial, and he did. That was one of his last wishes, several days before he died. I was with him, and he said, ‘I want to be buried at sea,’ so we made sure it happened,” said Muir.

This year’s event honored veterans who served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Organizers said this year’s ceremony also carried added significance, celebrating America’s 250th anniversary.

The veterans’ legacies now live on beneath the waters of the Atlantic, where their memorials will continue serving both as places of remembrance and as part of a growing marine ecosystem.