WHEATLAND – March 30 was the date set by the VFW auxiliaries from Torrington, Wheatland and Guernsey at the beginning of the year to have a special “Welcome Home” celebration in honor of the veterans. COVID reared it’s ugly head and plans were changed.

The “Welcome Home” celebrations are a national program that have been done for years and primarily were conducted to honor the Vietnam veterans home at a time when America was not always so welcoming to that group of soldiers.

After the initial plans were altered due to the pandemic, Ruth Herdt, VFW auxiliary president sprung into action and made sure the plans weren’t canceled on her watch.

“Actually I got a hold of my cohorts in Torrington and Guernsey and asked if they wanted to chip in on it,” Herdt said. “And so all of the auxiliaries chipped in and made the food.”

And there was enough food to go around for a hungry group of about 75 veterans and auxiliary members.

The hardest part of pulling it all together, according to Herdt, was to maintain all the communication and the continual reminders of what had to be done. Seeing the veterans come together, Herdt got tears in her eyes as she described her reasons for being an active auxiliary member.

“This is why I do what I do,” she said looking out at the veterans eating and fellowshipping one with another. “My dad was a World War II veteran and my brother was a Vietnam veteran and so that’s why I do this. They need all the help we can give them.”

Wreaths Across America

Wreaths Across America, a national organization who has a goal to put a wreath on every veteran’s grave on Veteran’s Day, is going to participate in the program again this year.

The program has three major goals that they strive to achieve. To remember the fallen U.S. veterans, to honor those who serve and to teach the children the value of freedom.

According to the Wreaths Across America website, “Morrill Worcester, owner of Worcester Wreath Company of Harrington, Maine, was a 12 year old paper boy for the Bangor Daily News when he won a trip to Washington D.C. His first trip to our nation’s capital was one he would never forget, and Arlington National Cemetery made an especially indelible impression on him. This experience followed him throughout his life and successful career, reminding him that his good fortune was due, in large part, to the values of this nation and the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

“In 1992, Worcester Wreath found themselves with a surplus of wreaths nearing the end of the holiday season. Remembering his boyhood experience at Arlington, Worcester realized he had an opportunity to honor our country’s veterans. With the aid of Maine Senator Olympia Snowe, arrangements were made for the wreaths to be placed at Arlington in one of the older sections of the cemetery that had been receiving fewer visitors with each passing year.”

“Last year was our first year participating,” Herdt said. “We ended up with 300 wreaths, and our goal this year is 1,000 and we’re over 400 right now. So we are taking orders for wreaths with the last order date being Nov. 25. Our plan is, if we have enough wreaths we want to do Wheatland, Chugwater, Glendo and Dwyer cemeteries.”

Wreaths are for sale through the local VFW auxiliary. 

Dec. 19 is National Wreaths Across America Day. The non-profit organization was formed in 2007 as an extension of The Arlington Wreath Project, with over 1,500 participating locations in all 50 states, and 24 national veteran cemeteries on foreign soil.