WHEATLAND — Over 900 wreaths were delivered to the Wheatland cemetery on Monday, December 11 as volunteers from the Laramie Peak VFW Auxiliary Post #3558 began to decorate veterans’ graves in honor of Wreaths Across America, an American nonprofit organization established in 2007 by wreath producer Morrill Worcester, assisted by veterans and truckers. The primary goal of the organization is to distribute wreaths for placement on American veterans’ graves.  

In December 2008, the United States Senate agreed to a resolution that designated December 13, 2008, as Wreaths Across America Day. There have been subsequent National Wreaths Across America Days which have been designated on the second or third Saturday of December.

Volunteers unpacked the fresh-cut balsam wreaths and individually attached the wreaths to veteran’s headstones across the cemetery on a sunny but cold Monday. Additional wreaths were delivered and on December 16, volunteers again worked to arrange wreaths on designated headstones in addition to the veteran’s monument at the Wheatland Cemetery.

For the past several years, Ruth Herdt of Wheatland has organized the local Wreaths Across America campaign in conjunction with VFW Auxiliary Post #3558. “We started in 2019,” Herdt said, “and joined with the Civil Air Patrol to help them out because they are such a small group. We have worked with them ever since.” Herdt’s volunteer group, consisting of 12 - 20 people, assists in placing the wreaths on the headstones of local fallen heroes not only in Wheatland but at other cemeteries throughout Platte County. 

According to Herdt, the coast of each wreath is $17, and discounts do apply for larger orders. Veteran family members, and anyone in the community, are welcome to make a donation for purchasing wreaths. 

The official ceremony commemorating Wreaths Across America day took place on Saturday, December 16, where a ceremonial speech is read at precisely ten o’clock in the morning; a ceremony that takes place all across the nation at the same time. The ceremonial wreaths are then escorted to the cemetery of choice and there is a wreath for each branch of the military. Wheatland serves as the area headquarters for the organization, locally. 

“There is a special on wreath orders after the official ceremony,” Herdt said. “WAA is having a special from December 16th, 2023, through January 16th, 2024. If you buy 1 wreath, we get 1 free from WAA. So, you get two wreaths for the price of one, which would really help us. These would be for December of 2024,” Herdt added about advance orders for next year’s placement of wreaths.

Ruth Herdt can be contacted at ruth_herdt@hotmail.com or you can learn more about donating and participating by visiting www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.