Across the country today, wreaths are being placed at the gravesites of countless military veterans, all part of the annual National Wreaths Across America Day initiative.
On Thursday, Walmart and the Robert E. Baker Post 38 Legion Auxiliary were joined by several hundred people inside St. Ambrose Church in Schuylkill Haven for a ceremony honoring local veterans and to commemorate the journey of wreaths to their final resting spots across the country.
Walmart donated the services of its private fleet of tractor trailers to help transport more than 100,000 live balsam fir wreaths to participating Wreaths Across America ceremonies.
A convoy of those trucks made their way through the streets of Schuylkill Haven en route to St. Ambrose for the ceremony. There, the fleet drivers were joined by military veterans, members of of the Legion Auxiliary in Schuylkill Haven, two choir groups, and other local officials.
During the relay ceremony inside the church, members of the Schuylkill Haven American Legion Post 38 and the Schuylkill Haven Vietnam Vets Post 29 served as Color Guard.
The Little Hurricanes choral group performed the National Anthem and later sang All Gave Some, Some Gave All to a well-deserved, roaring applause.
In remarks during the ceremony, Auxiliary member Cosette Pohronezny said, “The freedoms we enjoy today have not come without a price. We thank those who gave their lives for our freedom. We shall not forget them. We shall remember.”
Schuylkill Haven Mayor Mike Devlin said that our appreciation of veterans must continue beyond ceremonies like the one held this week and others on special holidays throughout the year.
“The challenge is to go out of your way,” Devlin urged those in attendance. “That’s the thanks they’re really going to appreciate, when they least expect it.”
Schuylkill County Commissioner Gary Hess told the audience of the area’s rich history of military service.
“Schuylkill County has been gifted. It holds a treasure of people who have stepped up to serve this country,” Hess said.
Ceremonial wreaths were placed at the front of the congregation hall at St. Ambrose during the ceremony, each honoring a branch of the U.S. military (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, Merchant Marines, Coast Guard) and another wreath to honor Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action.
While wreaths were placed by a service member from each branch, members of the choirs from St. Ambrose and All Saints Church in McAdoo sang the fight songs of each.
Wreaths Across America’s mission – “Remember, Honor, Teach” – aims to ensure that the sacrifices of veterans are never forgotten. Wreaths Across America was started in 1992 by Morrill Worcester, a Maine wreath maker, and officially became a nonprofit in 2007. It serves as a powerful symbol of gratitude for the service and sacrifices of America’s military members.
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