Guest Post by Wes O’Donnell
Managing Editor of In Military, InCyberDefense and In Space News.
Note: This article was originally published on In Military.
On Saturday, December 14, 2019, volunteers from all over the United States will participate in one of the year’s most sincere and heartfelt traditions to honor the fallen during the holiday season.
National Wreaths Across America Day, held on the second Saturday of every December, is a special event that “strives to remember our fallen heroes, honor those who serve and teach our children about the sacrifices made by veterans and their families to preserve our freedoms.”
At past events, it has been incredibly heartwarming seeing the overflowing spirit of the volunteers from every corner of the country and the multitude of Honor Fleets. The Honor Fleets are comprised of truck drivers who transport thousands of boxes of wreaths to the nation’s national cemeteries.
For several years, American Military University has been a proud participant in the event, drawing hundreds of volunteers. This year, AMU is proud to highlight MSR Transport Services and its President and AMU alumnus, Robert Ahlers.
Robert is a proud graduate from AMU having earned both his M.A. in Homeland Security and a Graduate Certificate in Logistics Management.
As a business owner, Robert is proud to employ veterans. According to Robert, “Today, we have a fleet of 22 trucks and those are a mixture of MSR owned assets and owner-operators. 37% of our drivers are Veterans, and 36% of our drivers are female – both well above the statistical norm for the industry.”
Furthermore, Robert and MSR Transport will be donating no less than 15 deliveries to Wreaths Across America with stops to cemeteries in Maine, Vermont, and New York.
According to Wreaths Across America, “We would not be successful without the help of volunteers, active organizations and the generosity of the trucking industry, which offer invaluable support to WAA’s mission to remember the men and women who served our country, honor our military and their families, and teach our children about our freedom and those who protect it.”
University faculty, staff, students, and alumni will be volunteering at the following locations nationwide:
- 29 Palms Public Cemetery District — Palms, CA
- Miramar National Cemetery — San Diego, CA
- Temecula Public Cemetery — Temecula, CA
- Tallahassee National Cemetery — Tallahassee, FL
- Warriors Walk — Fort Stewart, GA
- Veterans Cemetery — Hopkinsville, KY
- Massachusetts National Cemetery — Bourne, MA
- Field of Honor at Triad Park — Kernersville, NC
- Forest Lawn East Cemetery — Weddington, NC
- Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery — Fernley, NV
- Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery — Boulder City, NV
- Farone and Son Funeral Home at Onondaga Veteran’s Cemetery — Syracuse, NY
- Killeen City Cemetery — Killeen, TX
- Arlington National Cemetery — Arlington, VA
- Hampton National Cemetery — Hampton, VA
We encourage volunteers to share their participation by using the hashtag #APUSwreaths on social media. And stay tuned for continuing coverage and photos on the day of the event.
