Letter to the editor: Thank you to supporters of Wreaths Across America 2018

Thank you to everyone who has helped The Wreaths Across America fulfill their mission to remember the fallen, honor those that have served and those that continue to serve and to teach our children of the many sacrifices made by the military men and women and their families to maintain and protect our FREEDOM. Wreaths Across America reaches across 1,200 locations in the U.S. and at each of the national cemeteries on foreign soil.

This year the Wreaths Across America received two awesome sales tax grants awarded to the Homelake Cemetery  in the amount of $7500 from the Saguache County BOCC .  The grants were written by Connie Trujillo (Saguache County Treasurer) and Gene Gowens a veteran and employee of Saguache County.  Then, with all the rest of the wonderful most generous donations from individuals, church groups, active service groups and business organizations we received enough funding for 1,800 wreaths and were able to cover all the headstones at Homelake Cemetery on Saturday, December 15th, for the Nationwide Wreaths Across America Day Celebration, and oh what a most beautiful site to see! A tremendous thank you to you all!!               

The 1800 wreaths were delivered free of charge to the Homelake Cemetery by Orscheln Farm & Home an individual trucking service out of Moberly, MO. The driver stated, “this service is done in order for us to honor and remember all the veterans who sacrificed so much for our freedom.” The truck drivers plus John Medina and his staff at the CSVC and Ron Martinez unloaded the 201 boxes of wreaths that were delivered and stored at the CSVC until the day of the event. Thank you to all of you.

Thank you to Pam Self Admissions & Marketing Manager at the CSVC for all your assistance with everything from the beginning to the end, I couldn’t have done it without you!! Also, thank you to Pam’s daughter, Kaylie for distributing the WAA fliers around the community.   

Thank you to all the totally awesome volunteers who arrived at approximately 830 a.m., along with the Civil Air Patrol members, members of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association Chapter 5-3 out of Colo. Springs, and the 4-H group with Kim Temple who placed wreaths on every grave site to show honor and remembrance of our veterans. Thank you to Troy and Chere Plane for the soo delicious hot chocolate with marshmallows that was served after the wreaths were placed in record time on this beautiful sunny morning.

Thank you to Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Patty Robertson our guest speaker, for her heartfelt speech with history of the WAA and their mission to Remember, Honor and Teach. And she said, we should remember our most precious veterans that we have lost and those still serving and honor them for the many sacrifices they have made and they are still making and to teach our children of all the work and sacrifices that our veterans and their families make.

Thank you to the Monte Vista Journal, Valley Courier, the Center Dispatch, and the KSLV Radio Station for the wonderful Media and PBS coverage throughout the San Luis Valley.

Thank you to all the very generous donators: SLV Republican Women, Jeanne Haug, Gi Gi Dennis Lounsbury, Lola Gates, Roena Rowe, Gywn Linville, Dr. Brian Roberts, Lewis Entz, Nadine Dieckman, Wenta Nip & Sanitizing, LLC., Dan Keeton, Valley Tractor Repair, LLC, Monte Vista Rotary Club, Nazarene Thrift Store, Bond-Metz Farms, Art & Vicki Jones, Rachael Perea, Rod & Deb Rosacker, Friday Morning Club, Glena Mitchell, Monte Vista Kiwanis Club, Jake Mellott, Kirby & Pam Self, Martha & John Ball, Carolyn & Ron David, John & Joan Cavalier, Greg & Shirley Thompson, Sweet Peas FCE, Roger & Marilynn Perry, Colorado Womens Citizenship Club, Charlene Green, Monte Vista Conquistadors, Charlie & Pat Burd, Ron & Jacque Spencer, GFWC Town & Country, Ken & Dee Bartee, Virginia Starr & Mary Davis, Jeff & Tammy Schrader, John Andre, Sue Davis, Janet Yohn, Monte Vista Co-op, Karla Shriver, Don & Karen Wilkenson, Cynthia & Lavern Hart, SLV REC, Blaine Burt, Leo & Nancy Stoeber, Cecil McGuffin, Florence Pacheco, and there are so many more donators too numerous to mention them all, but I am very grateful and thankful for all of them.

Again THANK YOU TO EVERYONE for your support and honor of all our veterans. And if you want to see a most beautiful site with all the wreaths placed please drive past the Homelake Cemetery.

Sincerely

Carol Martinez

Location Leader at The Homelake

Cemetery for Wreaths Across America