It all began when the owner of a Maine wreath company remembered an impactful visit to Arlington National Cemetery when he was a boy. In 1992, with a surplus of wreaths in his inventory, he decided …
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It all began when the owner of a Maine wreath company remembered an impactful visit to Arlington National Cemetery when he was a boy. In 1992, with a surplus of wreaths in his inventory, he decided to place them on the graves at Arlington at Christmas.
That began the mission of Wreaths Across America. The country got behind the cause in 2005, and today more than 2,100 sites are included. More than two million volunteers helped honor the thousands of heroes buried across America by placing wreaths on their graves last year.
The City of Warrenton Cemetery and the Holy Rosary Cemetery were included in the effort to “remember, honor, and teach,” the organization’s motto.
Andrea and Roger Romaker were instrumental in getting the local effort started. Their son, 2nd Lt. Tyler Romaker, an ROTC student at the University of Missouri, was tragically killed in an automobile accident the very week his commissioning uniform arrived in the mail.
When Andrea brought a wreath to his grave after volunteering at Jefferson Barracks Cemetery with Wreaths Across America (WAA), she noticed there were no wreaths in the cemetery. She recruited friends, family, church members at Holy Rosary and other volunteers to make sure all the local veterans were honored.
The nationwide event is held every second Saturday in December at the same time across the nation.
“It’s a great service we can give to those who have fought for our country,” she said. “Some of them have been dead 100 years, and their names are all said aloud. It makes me cry. What an honor.”
More than 30 volunteers showed up to help at the Holy Rosary Cemetery, while others were marking the graves at the city cemetery. The honor guard from the Daniel Boone American Legion Post 180 in Marthasville began the service with a gun salute and the playing of Taps.
Kathy O’Brien spoke at the Holy Rosary Cemetery, and Barb Woodruff at the city cemetery. The Marine Corps League honor guard was present at the city cemetery.
Matthew O’Brien, a second-grade student at Holy Rosary, was chosen to lay the wreath on the gravesite of Tyler Romaker. O’Brien knew Romaker and said he was the kind of guy he would like to be when he grows up. O’Brien, a Cub Scout from Pack 370, wears one of Romaker’s badges on his uniform. He placed the wreath, said his friend’s name and paused for a moment of silence.
There are many ways to be a part of WAA, including sponsoring a wreath, adding a new location, starting a sponsorship group, or volunteering to place the wreaths. To find out more about the organization, visit wreathsacrossamerica.org.
“Every time I hear Taps and the gun salute, I think not only of heroes that day, but the heroes that have gone before,” said Romaker. “We are honoring all that have died who served our country.”
Romaker is also a member of Blue Star Mothers. She travels throughout Missouri to attend funerals of fallen heroes and present their mothers with the gold star banner to honor the service member.
