Wreaths Across America Day

Gunther, Havlat, Knauss, and Wreaths Across America Day

In World War I, Private Henry Gunther was a GermanAmerican drafted in the fall of 1917; most accounts state that his final actions were motivated by Gunther’s need to demonstrate that he was “courageous and allAmerican.” A chaplain from Gunther’s unit recounted, “As 11 a.m. and the end of the war approached, Gunther suddenly rose with his rifle and ran through thick fog. His men shouted for him to stop. So did the Germans. But Gunther kept running and firing. One machine gun blast later, he was dead. His death was recorded at 10:59 a.m. In every conflict, inevitably a final service member pays the ultimate sacrifice.

In World War II, Private Charlie Havlat, the son of Czech immigrants, in the closing days of the war, found himself liberating his parents’ former homeland – word of the cease-fire reached his position minutes after he was killed.

Officially, the U.S. has never declared a final casualty in the Korean War; since the armistice was signed, nearly 100 U.S. Soldiers have been killed in combat on the Korean peninsula.

On April 29, 1975, Charles McMahon and Darwin Judge were two of a small number of Marines tasked with safeguarding the U.S. Embassy in Saigon. They had been deployed for only 11 days when they were killed by a rocket attack. The U.S. would complete the process of withdrawing from Saigon the following day.

Staff Sergeant Ryan Knauss was the last of the 2,461 Service Members who died in Afghanistan; he along with 12 of his comrades was killed in a suicide attack during the withdrawal from Kabul.

In every war, there is always one that must fill the dignified but dubious role in history as being the last to give the full measure of devotion. Each year, on a cold Saturday in December, as a nation we pause, not only to honor those that have given their lives but for all those who believed so deeply in American exceptionalism that they were willing to sacrifice what they held dear to defend it.

For most people talking about war is conceptual, something learned through history books, news reports, and movies – those that have served do not have that luxury. Not only should we remember that the principles we hold true have been defended by generations of Americans whom we honor on Wreaths Across America Day, but more importantly we should take inspiration from that sacrifice. Our country, despite all our self-imposed differences, needs to look to our Veterans and see that there are no divisions in a foxhole – there are only those who stand in defense of democracy and those who stand against it.

When the Armistice was signed in 1918 when the Japanese surrendered, and when the last flights departed Kabul and Saigon – these were not simply endings – they were new beginnings. We honor those who serve by recommitting ourselves to making the sacrifices necessary to preserve our way of life.

While we may only celebrate Wreaths Across America Day on December 17th, this year by placing a fresh balsam veterans reath, saying the interred veteran’s name aloud so that their sacrifice is never forgotten, and a few moments of silence, we have an opportunity to find our own way to serve as part of our commitment to living up to the legacy of our Veterans.

If we look hard enough, we’ll see beyond the physical memorials to our Veterans and see the true legacy of their service – that legacy lives in our spirit, our pride, and our willingness to choose discomfort when forced to choose between an easy wrong and a hard right. During last year’s Wreaths Across America annual truck convoy of wreaths called “The Escort to Arlington,” a former sentinel from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers stated, “We wanted perfection, these men not only gave their lives, but they also gave their identity.” If we are truly grateful, then each of us must strive for that same level of perfection in our own lives.

Since its humble beginning as a simple family gift to our nation’s heroes in 1992, Wreaths Across America has grown into a movement that thanks veterans every day, and takes great pride in sharing their stories of service, sacrifice, and success. While we, as Americans, may not be asked to make the same level of sacrifice, by learning from our vet’s legacies we are reminded that success is driven by focusing on what unites us and that all of us should be willing to trade a bit of personal comfort for the common good. Our Veterans can remind each of us that the spirit of American Exceptionalism lies in our collective ability to be resilient; face challenges and strive to overcome them.

As Adlai Stevenson once stated, “Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.” For over 30 years

now, Wreaths Across America Day has served as a new beginning for families all over the nation and beyond honoring over 2.4 million interred veterans annually. Go forth, sponsor a wreath, volunteer, help honor the interred in your local area and find a way to serve our nation, our communities, and each other – we owe it to our Veterans.

This year, more than 3,400 locations will participate in National Wreaths Across America Day – Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022 – and more than 4,000 Sponsorship Groups are working in local communities to raise awareness and the wreath sponsorships needed to honor all local service members laid to rest with the placement of live, veterans’ wreaths. Your $15 sponsorship will ensure that a fresh balsam veterans wreath will be placed at the final resting place of an American hero.

To find a Sponsorship Group supporting a participating cemetery in your community, please go to

www.wreathsacrossamerica.org

Like and follow Wreaths Across America on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn, and tune in to

Wreaths Across America Radio to hear from the many local Sponsorship Group volunteers throughout the country and how they are finding a way to serve in their communities.

For more information about Wreaths Across America or to volunteer and/or sponsor a wreath please visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.

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About Wreaths Across America

Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery begun by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester in 1992. The organization’s mission – Remember, Honor, Teach – is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreathlaying ceremonies in December at Arlington, as well as at thousands of veterans’ cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and beyond.