April 19, 2005. This is a day that forever changed Army Sgt. Melvin Gatewood’s life, and set him on a path to helping others.

“While I was over in Iraq, I was injured on April 19, 2005 in a Humvee explosion,” Gatewood said. “After I came back to the area, I worked a little bit at Community Counseling and then got employed with the Department of Veterans Affairs in Tuscaloosa.”

This was the start of his professional career, however, he had other aspirations. He sought to help veterans, especially those in rural areas, to gain access to the services available to them such as counseling and veteran benefits.

This led to his co-founding Operation Continue Service, a nonprofit organization with the express goal of helping veterans.

“Our motto is, ‘Remembering those who have fallen while supporting those who still stand.’” Gatewood said. “What we do is help veterans find social gatherings and do community service projects. When we talk about social gatherings, we do ruck marches, coffee socials and tailgates.”

The group held a pop-up coffee social in Columbus this past Saturday at Zachary’s.

Gatewood worked at the restaurant while in school at West Lowndes High School, and owner Doug Pellum was more than happy to help.

“Melvin worked for me when he was in high school and was just a super kid,” Pellum said. I lost contact with him more than 25 years ago. About two years ago, I caught up with him on Facebook. … He contacted me a couple of months ago and wanted to know if we could host it at Zachary’s and I was like, ‘It’s no problem whatsoever. We’ll be glad to help you in any way we can.’”

At events such as the coffee social, there is information about the different resources available for veterans.

Gatewood hosts events such as these in smaller, mostly rural areas like Lowndes County. This is not just because he is from the area, but because many veterans are in the area.

“I’m very passionate about coming to rural areas because I know, a lot of times, they are underserved. … Data has shown that a large amount of veterans, after retiring, go to rural areas,” Gatewood said. “So, they go to rural areas to miss the hustle and bustle, but when they get out there, it’s still that sense of isolation. That’s where I want us to come into play.”

He also localizes the information, offering services that are available in the specific area in addition to the national services.

The event welcomed all veterans, including members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion and other organizations.

“We had all of these veterans come here and I told them that this is neutral ground,” he said. “So, a veteran, if they’re not affiliated with these service organizations, they are still welcome. I told veterans that even if they had a bad conduct discharge, they are welcome. The reason I say that is, there are resources out there for veterans who have bad conduct discharges to get upgrades, so they can receive benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.”

OCS also partnered with the local chapter of the American Legion to stock the food pantries in Lowndes County. This is one of the ways the group performs community service, Gatewood said.

Aside from the coffee socials, OCS also hosts ruck marches.

Gatewood said ruck is a military term for carrying a heavy backpack from one location to another. The practice is used for training purposes in the military, but OCS has repurposed it, instead using it to remember and heal.

“We have two different types of ruck marches,” Gatewood said. “We do a memorial ruck march, which we do for fallen service members that we have lost in the line of duty. … The next march is called a recovery march. It is moreso mental health based. We say that the ruck we are carrying symbolizes the hardship that military personnel carry, both in the military and after the military.”

During these marches, Gatewood also takes the time to talk with veterans and tell them about different services available to them.

Ultimately, he just wants to use his organization to impact as many veterans’ lives as he can, especially on his home turf.

“I never wanted to be the person that left and was not able to give back,” he said. “I know when it’s all said and done, I’ve got land in Lowndes County and I’m going to come back. But while I’m away, I still wanted to pour into the area and still try to support the area, especially the veterans. Some people don’t have a desire to go to a large city, but let’s bring these activities to them.”