Orion Sanders, founder of Sarge’s Wreaths 4 Vets. Photos by Catherine Stachowiak
Saturday, December 14, was Wreaths Across America Day. At this year’s Sarge’s Wreaths 4 Vets ceremony, plenty of volunteers appeared to lay wreaths at the headstones of our heroes buried at Kern River Valley Cemetery.
“Today is National Wreaths Across America Day,” said Orion Sanders, founder of Sarge’s Wreaths 4 Vets.
According to Sanders the first ceremony for this event was held at Arlington Cemetery. “I appreciate everybody showing up and coming out to help us place wreaths on all of our veteran headstones; and remembering and honoring all of our veterans for the holiday.”
John Nash led the invocation for the event. He thanked all those serving our nation previously and then prayed for those carrying scars from warfare and asked for the healing of veterans experiencing pain and loss.
Kern River Chorus performed the National Anthem.
Sanders said that those families of veterans serving in the military sacrificed for the nation.
VFW Post 7665 and the American Legion Post 711 brought up one wreath to the stage, for each branch of the military, to represent and honor all branches of the military
Families with relatives buried at the cemetery were called to lay the wreaths before other volunteers went out to place wreaths on the graves of veterans.
Sanders said 14 motorcycle riders escorted the wreaths from Inyokern up to the cemetery. And the daughters of the American Revolution hosted refreshments at the ceremony. A trucking club called 5150 Dieselz, from Tehachapi, drove up an entire parade of trucks, about a dozen, and brought the 32 wreaths Sarge’s Wreaths 4 Vets was short of, before the day of delivery for the event. Sanders thanked everyone involved for the help.
Sarge’s Wreaths 4 Vets attempts annually to reach the goal of attaining the close to 900 wreaths Sanders needs, to cover all the gravestones of veterans buried, at Kern River Valley Cemetery. Sanders said that there are 885 veterans, buried in the cemetery, if you include the six veterans buried at Cottage Grove Cemetery
Sanders will still need volunteers to remove the wreaths on January 18.
