Business

National Van Lines help volunteers, vets in Wreaths Across America

Posted December 20, 2019 12:00 am

Submitted by National Van Lines

National Van Lines employees and family members were among the estimated 2,000 volunteers who braved frigid temperatures to place more than 25,000 wreaths at the graves of veterans at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood Dec. 14 during National Wreaths Across America Day. Clockwise, from front, Shelly Zachary, Sue Mackey, Don Zachary, Jorja Coulter, Lisa Varzino, Steve Varzino and Jenna Brown. Photos courtesy National Van Lines

BROADVIEW - Who better to honor fallen servicemen - and safeguard their memorial wreaths - than a fellow veteran?

Enter National Van Lines driver and Marine Corps veteran Jim Lanager. Jim and his wife Kimberly recently used his tractor-trailer to transport thousands of wreaths to three military grave sites in West Virginia and Pennsylvania, helping volunteers working with National Wreaths Across America Day on Dec. 14.

Organized by Wreaths Across America, the one-day event gathered individuals nationwide to lay wreaths at the graves of men and women killed in action. The wreaths on Jim's watch are in the safest of hands: He recently received National Van Lines' prestigious Top Driver in Safety award for 2018-2019.

"National Van Lines is proud to play a role in this monumental event to honor those who served and sacrificed throughout U.S. history," National Van Lines President & COO Tim Helenthal said. "We're grateful one of our finest drivers has answered the call to participate."

In addition, National Van Lines executives, employees and their families placed wreaths at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, in Elwood, during the Dec. 14 event. More than 20,000 wreaths were placed in that cemetery.

Seventy-nine volunteers from the Will County Farm Bureau ensured wreaths were delivered on-time and intact. Local farmers driving 18 livestock trailers arrived the morning of Dec. 14 with 25,000-plus wreaths - a record for Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery

More than 2,000 volunteers gathered at Elwood's Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery during National Wreaths Across America Day. The Dec. 14 event was one of many held simultaneously at military cemeteries around the country, including Arlington National Cemetery.

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