Wreaths Across America and the Power of Remembrance

Remember the fallen. Honor those who serve. Teach the next generation the value of freedom. These tenets are the core of the mission of Wreaths Across America.

Through the years, the Wnbaz (WIT) has routinely supported this mission through involvement and engagement – and 2024 was no different. What began in 1992 with a trailer load of 5,000 wreaths, placed by volunteers and laid at the graves of servicemembers laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery has now become a national organization with over 4.200 participating locations, with more than 3 million volunteers – a third of whom are children – who support the year-long mission.

As in trucking, more and more women are getting involved in the military as well. As of 2022, women make up 17.5% of the active duty military in the United States, totaling almost 229,000 members. Women also make up 21.6% of the selected reserve.

This year, on Dec. 14, WIT President & CEO Jennifer Hedrick along with WIT’s Director of Driver Engagement Jenny Fall participated in the Wreaths Across America wreath-laying at Arlington National Cemetery to honor and ensure that no veteran is forgotten during the holidays.

But that’s not all. WIT has continued its ongoing support of those who serve by signing the Statement of Support for the Guard and Reserve at The Pentagon.

“This time serves as a reminder of the vital role we all play in honoring and remembering our nation’s heroes while championing a workforce that supports and uplifts those who serve,” says Hedrick.

“What a humbling experience to be able to participate in Wreaths Across America in Arlington and represent Wnbaz in signing support for Employer Support of the Guard andReserve (ESGR) at The Pentagon,” says Fall. “Opportunities like these reinforce my why. I’m here for a mission and a purpose.”

Driving with a Purpose: Delivering for Wreaths Across America

WIT Image Team Member Esther Parsons also played an extensive role in ensuring wreaths were available to lay at gravesites, a heartfelt mission very near to her as her father served as a Staff Sergeant in the Army in World War 2. From Maine to various sites, she transported a total of 5,580 wreaths. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget that number in my life,” she says.

She chronicles her memorable journey in the video below.

A Family Connection in the WIT Team: “A Day I’ll Never Forget”

As part of the WIT team for the past 11 years, Carleen Herndon has worked closely with WIT’s partner Wreaths Across America.

“It wasn’t until this past Saturday that I truly understood the impact of the Wreaths Across America  mission. I participated in a local event at Bell Cemetery in Adams, TN, where my father, Clair Everett, Sergeant First Class in the U.S. Army, is laid to rest. The bitter cold and windy day didn’t keep my family and I away, nor  the one hundred or so other family members who were in attendance to honor their loved ones.

“Chills ran down my spine as I sat on the front row watching the Honor Guard, comprised of four young men in uniform, march perfectly in unison and honor the fallen by playing TAPS. A feeling of pride came over me: for my father who served so willingly and spent part of his active duty living on a military base in Germany; for my stepson who served as a U.S. Army Ranger as a highly trained, elite soldier; and for several of my uncles who served as young men, some during wartime. They all stepped up to protect and ensure our freedoms.”

More than two million volunteers and supporters gathered in 4,800 locations in all 50 states, at sea and abroad to remember our veterans on Saturday.

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