In 1992, Wreaths Across America was founded by Maine business, Morrill Worcester to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington Nation Cemetery. The organization’s mission “remember, honor, teach” is carried out each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies each December at Arlington, as well as hundreds of veterans’ cemeteries across the nation. Now a 501(c)(e) non-
Buchheit Logistics Driver, John White with Veteran in Springfield, Illinois
for-profit and national organization, they lay wreaths in over 900 cemeteries throughout the United States.
Last year, Buchheit Logistics donated a transport of wreaths to honor our fallen veterans and Logistics driver and Army Veteran Thomas Tinnin picked up and delivered the wreaths. Seeing the success of last year, Buchheit Logistics donated the transportation of two loads of wreaths this year. The journey started in the beginning of December when Buchheit Logistics drivers John White and Jim Griffaw headed to Maine to pick up wreaths to lay on the headstones of fallen soldiers. John White is a native of St. James, Missouri and joined the United States Marine Corps in 2007. In 2009, he was deployed to Iraq where he was stationed at Al Asad Air Base. He was honorably discharged after serving in the USMC for four years and began working at Buchheit Logistics in 2013. Jim Griffaw a Cape Girardeau, Missouri native joined the Army in 1986. He was assigned to patrol the Korean Demilitarized Zone from 1986-1987. Ten months after his enlistment in the Army had ended, Jim was recalled from the IRR in support of Operation Desert Storm. Jim has been working for
Jim Griffaw with Buchheit Family and Team Members
Buchheit Logistics for the past twelve years.
Both drivers returned from Maine the second week of December and were greeted with a warm welcome. On Wednesday, December 14th, John White was escorted by police, American Legion Riders, Patriot Guard Riders, and other supporters as he headed to Camp Butler National Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois. From Springfield, the wreaths will be distributed to Camp Butler National Cemetery, Oak Ridge Cemetery Memorials. On December 17th, 40-year Buchheit Team Member and Army Veteran, Howard Hall will deliver wreaths to Mound City to be distributed to Mound City National Cemetery. On December 15th, Jim Griffaw was escorted to Bloomfield, Missouri and wreaths will be distributed to Missouri State Veterans Cemetery, the American Legion in Benton, St. Denis Cemetery, Old Benton Cemetery, St. Lawrence Church Cemetery, Lightner Cemetery, and St. Joseph Cemetery. The wreaths were laid by volunteers on National Wreaths Across America Day on December 17th, following a wreath laying ceremony.
For more information or how you can help, please visit www.WreathsAcrossAmerica.org.
