Reader TTS

Ohio Western Reserve Ladies (OWRL) is a group of volunteers that attend services at Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery in Rittman, Ohio.  The group was established in 2022 with the main

goal of ensuring no Veteran is buried alone. By providing a presence, respect, and honor to the fallen, OWRL provides a source of connection and resources for the community of Veterans

families in their time of need. OWRL also provides an opportunity to friends and family of Veterans to give back by joining the group and honoring the fallen.    After recognizing a need in

the community to honor Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery (OWRNC) burials of Veterans with little or no family, the group pledged to ensure that no Veteran will have an unattended

burial. The group was modeled after the Arlington Ladies of Arlington National Cemetery, established in 1948 with this exact mission.  Incredibly active in the community, OWRL members work

to raise awareness and hope to grow to the point they can attend all burials at OWRNC. Currently the group attends Quarterly Salutes for unattended burials throughout the year, various

cemetery and community events, and are available to speak at events to share their stories and their mission. Kat Frey and Becky Clark, the founders of OWRL are more then just volunteers.

They both have a personal connection and a passion for honoring our fallen service members.  Becky retired from the Ohio Army National Guard as a Major in December 2021 and had the honor of

serving as a Casualty Assistance Officer/ Casualty Notification Officer, making support for the families of the fallen near and dear to her heart. She is a mom, wife, nurse, college

professor, and chicken mom in her spare time along with acting as the co-chair of OWRL. For Becky, her experience as a nurse and as a soldier taught her a great deal about community and

support, > “I began my guard time in June 2001, months before the attacks on > 9-11. Deploying to Iraq as a medic in OIF II, 2004. a humanitarian > mission in Panama, hurricane 

support in Katrina and Gustav, and > community health clinics were just some of the ways I was able to > learn and grow my appreciation of service. > One thing the Army does really 

well is support the families of the > fallen through their Casualty Assistance Program. I was honored to > have been a part of that. I was able to act as a liaison between > the 

military and the families to provide support and resources where > necessary. The clear benefit that this provided those families > deserves to be shared with the families of the 

fallen at OWRNC. “ Kat is the daughter of Navy Submariner Frank T. Price, who is interred at OWRNC. She is a mom, business owner, coach, runner, yogi, and chair of OWRL. Kat is also rooted

in service through her family and friends, > “For my dad, I was lucky enough to meet some of his shipmates on > the USS Triton. I knew my grandfather's WWII co-pilot, Smokey. 

Those > men went to war together. > My best friend’s military comrades meet once a year, from all over > the country to see each other and tell their stories of being > stationed

 in Guam together. There is a community that binds them. In > death, we can’t expect the families to just walk away from that. > So in my eyes, I think OWRL gives families an option to

 continue > that community if they need it. We are here as a resource. We are > here as a place to volunteer if they would like, both at the > cemetery or in the community.” When

talking about their shared experience Kat said, > “This program is more than just graveside services for Becky and > me. This is a part of the grief process for those that are still

> living. This is about the families, and the community, that people > need. Especially when your loved one has been in the military. They > stood for our country when called, so we

 make it a priority to stand > up at every Final Salute.” Visit https://www.ohiowesternreserveladies.org/ to learn more or get involved by applying to be an OWR Lady. Follow OWRL on

Facebook for the dates and times of the next Final Salute and other events, @OhioWesternReserveLadies. CONTACT THE TEAM DIRECTLY: Kat Frey [email protected] 440-371-6029 ext 102

Becky Clark [email protected] 614-557-7010