VVA Chapter 1069 members attend and participate in a special DAR sponsored, "Wreaths Across America Ceremony", held at Oaklawn Memorial Park in El Campo, Texas, on Saturday, December 15, 2018. The ceremony was also a Salute to all the Service branches, (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force & Coast Guard). Also included were the Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action. Each group was honored with a wreath placed by a local veteran. The event was sponsored and organized by The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Comfort Woods Chapter based in Wharton, Texas.
Above photo - Left to right; Chapter President, Leonard Sternadel, Leroy Bacak, Harold Piekert, Larry Monroe, Ronnie Miller, Unknown Non-Chapter Member, Augie Limas, Unknown Non-Chapter Member. The other chapter members and spouses that attended were; Richard Lindley, Felipe & Maggie Castro, Randy Ratcliff and Dana Sternadel.
Above photo shows Glenell Wenglar, who coordinated the event for the "Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR)" of Wharton County, Comfort Wood DAR Chapter of Wharton . Glenell opened the ceremony with a welcome and a prayer. She then introduced Leonard as guest speaker.
After Leonard's presentation (above photo), Glenell called out the different services, one at a time, while the Veterans each in turn, picked up a wreath and placed it on the holder. See ceremony photos below.
Glenell then closed the ceremony with a few words. In conclusion, all those Veterans that had ordered a wreath thru DAR, picked up their wreaths and placed them at various gravesites and cemeteries in the Wharton and El Campo area.
Leonard wants to thank those who attended and/or participated in the Wreaths Across America ceremony. And includes a special thanks to those who chapter members who volunteered to place wreaths at various surrounding cemeteries after the ceremony.
UPATE: 1/11/2019 The photo below shows an article that ran in the El Campo Leader News on December 19, 2018 regarding this ceremony. It shows VVA chapter 1069 member and Vietnam veteran, Ronnie Miller, representing the ARMY, saluting the wreath he just placed on the stand.
The article reads as follows:
Salute To Service: Ron Miller salutes the U.S. Army after placing a wreath on a stand to represent that branch of the military on Saturday during a Wreaths Across America ceremony at Oaklawn Memorial Park, in El Campo. All branches of the military (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force & Coast Guard), including Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action, were represented with a wreath placed by a local veteran. The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Comfort Woods Chapter organized the wreath donations, selling 374 wreaths.
Local VVA Chapter 1069 would like to thank the El Campo Leader News for running this story, bringing awareness to the community of its local Veterans and awareness of the local DARS Chapter. The chapter would also like to thank the local DARS Comfort Wood chapter for organizing the Wreaths Across America ceremony, selling so many Christmas Wreaths for veteran's graves, and for inviting VVA Chapter 1069 members to participate in this ceremony.