Volunteers, veterans and their families gathered at area cemeteries for the Wreaths Across America ceremony.
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Volunteers, veterans and their families gathered at area cemeteries for the Wreaths Across America ceremony.
Despite the cold, the rain and the wind, a strong cohort of volunteers were present to attend the proceedings and help to distribute wreaths on the graves of veterans throughout the cemetery.
Wreaths Across America sponsors ceremonies like the ones held in Warren County across the country and helps organizers find donations and collect wreaths to lay in local cemeteries on Veterans gravestones.
At the Wright City ceremony, many traditions were performed. The ceremony started out with a moment of silence to honor the veterans, while speakers gave powerful speeches about the importance of recognizing the fallen.
Wright City Mayor Michelle Heiliger was one of the speakers. Heiliger choked up while recalling what this event means to her, noting her family ties.
“Today isn’t just about my family. It’s about all of us. It's about every Veteran who rests here at Wright City Memorial…It’s about teaching the next generation the value of freedom and the cost at which it comes,” Heiliger said.
Heiliger went on to stress the importance of remembering the veterans and their stories.
Many speakers held a similar message and highlighted the importance of paying respects to the men and the women while acknowledging their sacrifice.
Before Warrenton got started, Gary Ruebling of the Tribute to Veterans Memorial spoke about the importance of recognizing, and remembering the sacrifice of the veterans they were honoring that day.
“Lying here before us and in cemeteries throughout this nation are men and women who gave their lives so that we can live in freedom and without fear,” said Ruebling.
Ruebling went on to speak about the sacrifices the men and women buried at the cemetery had made, and how the impact of those sacrifices can still be felt today.
“We can worship as we see fit and raise our children to believe as we do. We’re free to vote for the leaders of our choosing, and we have the right to succeed and we have the right to fail at whatever endeavor we wish to pursue,” said Ruebling.
Following his remarks, several volunteers laid wreaths on stands outside of the pavilion at the cemetery, one for each branch of the military.
From there they dispersed into the cemetery and began the process of carefully placing wreaths of each of the marked veterans’ graves.
“These prayer wreaths symbolize our honor to those who have served and are serving in the armed forces of our great nation, and to their families who endure sacrifices every day on our behalf,” said Ruebling.
Some wreaths were specially designated to be laid by family members while the majority were stacked outside of rows of graves to be laid by volunteers.
The Wentzville Composite Squadron Civil Air Patrol, cadets and the color guard all showed their support throughout the ceremony in Wright City. Towards the end, symbolic wreaths were placed on a display for each branch of the military.
To conclude the ceremony in Wright City, “Taps,” a military call, was performed live. Volunteers then went around and placed wreaths at the gravestones of each 317 veterans that lay in the Wright City Cemetery.
