MOUNTAIN VIEW — A Wreaths Across America ceremony was held Saturday morning at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Mtn. View.
The event was held simultaneously at locations across the nation to honor veterans by decorating their graves with evergreen wreaths, and was coordinated locally by the City of Mtn. View, the Ozark Spring Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3009.
Family members of veterans placed 187 wreaths, and volunteers placed wreaths on the remaining graves during the event, which was live-streamed by Ozark Radio Network.
The wreaths were escorted to the cemetery by officials with the Mtn. View Police and Fire Departments and Howell Rural Fire Department No. 1.
The West Plains Veterans Honor Guard performed the flag ceremony, and other volunteers including government officials and veterans and members of veterans groups placed wreaths and delivered speeches in support of veterans and in recognition of the sacrifices they and their families made, during a season when those losses become even more poignant as loved ones gather to celebrate, sometimes with an empty seat the table.
Representatives of Gold Star families, survivors left behind by service members killed while on active duty, included Kelly Barnett and Jim and Carol Lunyou, who placed a wreath as members of that organization. Guest speakers were Mtn. View Mayor John Krasuski, 154th District Rep. David Evans and 33rd District Sen. Karla Eslinger.
A wreath was placed for all veterans by James Gould of VFW Post 3009 and wreaths were placed representing each of the branches of the U.S. military by Howard Williams, U.S. Army; Josh Young, U.S. Marine Corps; Lia Griffin, U.S. Navy; Keith Yarber, U.S. Air Force; Ron Evins of the Disabled American Veterans, U.S. Space Force; Kent Breese, U.S. Coast Guard; Tim Eagleman, U.S. Merchant Marines; and Becky Lott, whose father John T. Kirk was a prisoner of war for four years as a U.S. Marine serving at Wake Island during World War II, for those soldiers that were prisoners of war or missing in action.
Other groups represented were Gold Star Mothers, Sons of the American Revolution, the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, West Plains High School Zizzers Cross Country Team and Liberty High School Honor Roll Students as volunteers, and attendees from other communities and rounded out the attendance to about 500 present for the ceremony, DAR officials added.
The wreaths will remain on the veterans’ graves until Jan. 15. Additional photos of the event may be seen at the Ozark Spring Chapter DAR Facebook page, @OzarkSpringChapterDAR.
