LEAVENWORTH, Kansas — Service members from Fort Leavenworth and other nearby units participated in the Wreaths Across America observance at Leavenworth National Cemetery in Leavenworth, Kansas, Dec. 13.
Col. Jolanda L. J. Walker, Munson Army Health Center director, served as master of ceremonies. Colors were presented by Soldiers from the Fort Leavenworth Chapter of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club. Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force service members assigned to the Fort Leavenworth-based U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and a coast guardsman from the U.S. Coast Guard Pay & Personnel Center, Topeka, Kansas, presented ceremonial wreaths representing each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces and an additional wreath honoring Prisoners of War.
Despite the frigid conditions Saturday morning—temperatures around the mid-20s with wind chills near below zero, attendees braved the cold to stand together in remembrance.
“It was incredibly meaningful for me to be among the volunteers here today,” said Walker. “Even in this extreme cold, we gathered to speak the names of our fallen heroes. Each wreath we lay and every name we speak keeps their memory alive.”
As each wreath is placed at the base of a gravestone, volunteers read the service member’s name aloud ensuring each individual is remembered and honored for their service. Volunteers in uniform also render a salute.
“That act of remembrance connects us to their service and sacrifice and keeps their memory alive. I’m grateful to every volunteer who stood out here today and encourage everyone to learn more about the individuals we honor,” Walker said.
Following the ceremony, additional volunteers dispersed throughout the cemetery to place more than 5,000 wreaths on gravestones.
Wreaths Across America is held annually across the nation on the second or third Saturday of December, uniting communities, installations, and organizations in remembrance of those who served.
Managed by the Defense Health Agency, Munson Army Health Center is located on Fort Leavenworth, Kansas—the Best Hometown in the Army. Munson provides care for approximately 14,000 Military Health System beneficiaries on Fort Leavenworth and throughout the greater Kansas City metropolitan area.