Hirschbach Hauls Veterans Remembrance Wreaths
DUBUQUE, IA… Each December, on National Wreaths Across America Day, Wreaths Across America’s mission to Remember, Honor and Teach is carried out by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as over 1,100 locations in all 50 U.S. states, at sea, and abroad. Wreaths Across America (WAA) holds the ceremonies to remember and honor veterans through the laying of Remembrance wreaths on the graves of our country's fallen heroes and the act of saying the name of each and every veteran aloud. Hirschbach supported WAA’s mission by volunteering to haul Remembrance wreaths in December of 2016.
When WAA started 25 years ago, a wreath-maker from Maine had 5,000 extra wreaths. He gave the wreaths as a gift of thanks for the service and sacrifice made by our nation's military so he could live freely to work and raise his family. Morrill Worcester could never have foreseen then how this simple gesture would ignite a passion in the hearts and souls of millions of Americans many years later.
In 2016, 1.2 million wreaths were distributed at 1,228 locations nationwide. At Arlington National Cemetery specifically, 245,000 wreaths were placed by more than 44,000 – one for each marker in the cemetery. More than 400 truckloads of wreaths were transported across the country through a network of hundreds of volunteer drivers, donated trucking and diesel, and countless hours of dedicated volunteers committed to the mission to Remember, Honor and Teach.
Hirschbach volunteered to haul four loads of Remembrance wreaths for WAA. The loads departed from Maine and traveled to Arlington National, Allegany National, Fort Sam Houston, and Saint Louis. All of the Hirschbach drivers who hauled the wreaths were veterans. The drivers included Steven Edwards, James Gile, Christopher Hub, and Adam Dean.
“Hirschbach has volunteered to haul wreaths for Wreaths Across America for many years. WAA is something our employees, especially our military veterans, look forward to doing each winter,” said Erica Reiss, Marketing and Business Development Specialist at Hirschbach. She went on to say, “The program is a great way to honor those who have served and sacrificed for our great country. We take pride in being a Wreaths Across America Trucking Partner. We look forward to hauling wreaths again next year.”
Founded in 1935, Hirschbach Motor Lines is an industry leading transportation carrier. Hirschbach offers experienced, refrigerated truckload services to all 48 states. In addition, Hirschbach offers clients a complete range of dedicated transportation solutions and a wide range of innovative specialized services. The business continues to grow. The company now has a fleet of over 950 trucks and 1,500 trailers, multiple terminal locations, and continues to expand into new service areas. For more information, visit http://www.hirschbach.com/.
Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, begun by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester in 1992. The organization's mission – Remember, Honor, Teach – is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at Arlington, as well as at more than 1,200 veterans' cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and beyond. For more information or to sponsor a wreath please visit http://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/.