Originally published in the Platte County Record-Times December 15, 2021
WHEATLAND — On December 10, VFW Auxiliary Post #3558 received a shipment of over 1,000 wreaths to prepare for Wreaths Across America. Six pallets of boxes of wreaths were delivered to the Wheatland Cemetery at 9:00 a.m.
“We are there to support and honor our veterans,” said Ruth Herdt, the post’s president of eight years.
The VFW Auxiliary is a branch of the main Veterans of Foreign Wars organization. The VFW Auxiliary’s function is to assist veterans and their families through difficult time and has a variety of ways to do so.
“We have a whole bunch of different programs like Americanism, Patriotic Art, and veterans and family support,” said Herdt. “There’s a bunch of those programs that we participate in.”
“We raise money to fund those programs and help our veterans and their families with their struggles or if they have financial issues, whatever. We’re there to help our veterans.”
Wreaths Across America is a new event for the Auxiliary. Its purpose is to lay a wreath on the grave of each veteran. This year was its third year in operation and the first to collect enough wreaths all Platte County cemeteries.
“This year we ordered 1,450 wreaths,” said Herdt. “We did fundraising and people donated money to us. It’s been quite an undertaking.”
To raise funds to buy the wreaths, the post contacted single people and businesses and hosted fun table events.
“We took orders for wreaths from private individuals or corporations,” said Herdt. “We held some bake sales, and we had a candy count jar that the money raised from that went to the wreaths.”
Volunteers will be at the Wheatland Cemetery December 14 and 15 laying wreaths on soldiers’ graves. A ceremony will be held at the on December 18 at 10:00 a.m.
“The ceremony is at the National Guard Armory on Cole Street,” said Herdt “And then we escort the monument wreaths out to the cemetery and hang those after that.”
Due to a lack of advertising, the word about Wreaths Across America has not reached very far. Despite these limitations, there is optimism for a good turnout.
“We have the radio station announcing it, we have flyers all over town and then it’s plastered all over Facebook,” said Herdt.
Herdt explained that the intention of Wreaths Across America is the same as Memorial Day and why the public should come and participate.
“It’s the same thought process of Memorial Day, that we recognize all of our veterans,” said Herdt. “And that’s what were doing with Wreaths but it’s just at Christmastime.”
James Meyer 