Wreaths Across America honors veterans who served in both war and peacetime
U.S. Marine veteran Robert Harris and Sea Cadet Lucia Perez prepare to place a wreath at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery’s U.S. Marine memorial.
FERNLEY — The frosty breath of a cold Saturday morning didn’t stop hundreds of volunteers from attending the annual Wreath Across America at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery. Volunteers and veterans from different eras of service gathered at the pavilion to honor deceased veterans who are interred at the sprawling state veterans cemetery north of Fernley. Later that day, volunteers met at the Churchill County Cemetery to place wreaths for 1,300 veterans. “POW (prisoners of war), MIA (missing in action), we honor those who are serving and have served our great nation,” said narrator Rick Rose, who’s also the newly elected president of the Nevada Veterans Coalition. “This year across our nation at 3,100 participating locations like ours, there are millions of Americans gathering safely to place 2.4 million wreaths as one nation to remember, honor and teach.” Rose said the freedoms Americans enjoy have come with a price for those military men and women who fought to keep their nation free. The Wreaths Across America project is the second largest ceremony behind Memorial Day to honor deceased veterans from all branches of military service. The program recognizes veterans in all 50 states, territories and at overseas national cemeteries. The NVC has been involved in the wreaths' project for almost 15 years. About 300 volunteers placed wreaths this year after a short ceremony that explains the symbolism behind the Wreaths Across America project. More than 8,100 veterans are interred at NNVMC. Rose referred back to the United States and how the nation has fought to protect the innocent and oppressed. “America has always been the first nation to stand up for the freedom of people around the world,” he said, adding the U.S. has the best trained and best equipped armed forces in the world. Rose cited the words of President Ronald Reagan who said freedom is never more than one step away from the next generation. Additionally, Rose said this is a day to present a united front of gratitude and respect for those men and women who fought and to teach the next generation the value of freedom. Christine Sam had been volunteering at the cemetery for a decade. When she first started attending the WAA ceremony, she said there were not enough wreaths for each veteran. Since that time, organizers said they have been able to recognize every veteran as well as providing excess wreaths to neighboring cemeteries. “I have many family members that are veterans, and it (WAA) shows honor and respect for what they did for us,” Sam said. Walking in a different section of the cemetery was Robert Hix of Reno, a U.S. Air Force veteran who was once assigned to Naval Air Station Fallon to support a special program involving the F-16 engines. “This is an opportunity to remember the fallen,” he said. “Coming out in the cold shows sacrifice for them.” Teenagers from Fallon and Fernley in the Sea Cadets program volunteered to lay wreaths and to assist people trying to find specific gravesites. Both Lilian McCullough and Lila Christian each assisted a veteran at the pavilion when wreaths were placed at each military service’s memorial. “I feel very honored to lay a wreath,” Christian said. Keenan Waller of Fallon said Saturday was the first time he attended a wreath ceremony. “I look at their names and wonder what that person did during their service,” Waller said. Likewise, Nicolas Pearl of Fernley envisioned what the interred veteran did to make an impact on future generations. At the Fallon ceremony, Lisa Devall said the annual ceremony began four years ago to recognize local veterans. Roger Elliott, another volunteer, thanked the youngsters for attending and explained the meaning behind the wreaths. He said many veterans interred at the Churchill County Cemetery missed many holidays in their hometowns because of serving in a different part of the country or overseas. “Remember those veterans who wanted to come home during the holidays,” he said. Both Elliott and Devall thanked the city of Fallon and others for donating to buy wreaths. Other cemeteries in Lovelock and Winnemucca as well as the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone cemetery northeast of town were able to receive wreaths for their veterans. “Without your donations, we don't have a program,” said Elliott, who began this year’s fundraising at the Fallon Cantaloupe Festival in late August. Fallon Police Chief Kris Alexander represented the city of Fallon at the ceremony. He said it was important for someone from the city to recognize the veterans on a special day. This year’s WAA was the first for Joshua Jones, an aviation machinist mate at NAS Fallon. “Coming out here gives me a whole new respect of those people who served and those who laid down their lives,” he said, walking from grave to grave. “It gives me a new meaning of serving. I am proud to serve.” The Arizona native said when walking in the cemetery and looking at the headstones, he wondered what the World I and II veterans did during their wars. He was also intrigued with those who enlisted in the Civil and Spanish-American wars. “It did make me wonder,” he said.
