Fassbender: Please support our Wreaths Across America event

Nancy Fassbender

Submitted

Each year, millions of Americans come together to remember the fallen, honor those who serve and their families and teach the next generation about the value of freedom.

This gathering of volunteers and patriots takes place in local, state and national cemeteries in all 50 states as part of the National Wreaths Across America Remembrance Day.

In 2022, more than 2.7 million veterans wreaths were placed by volunteers on veterans graves at 3,702 participating locations around the country in honor the service and sacrifices made for our freedoms with each name said out loud. This year, we will have over 4,000 participating locations.

Wreaths Across America volunteers work year-round to ensure military laid to rest are remembered, their families and living veterans are honored and the next generation is taught about the value of freedom.

This year, Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemetery, 7900 E. Main St. in Mesa, will be the cemetery for the East Valley. There will be a ceremony starting at 9:30 a.m. Dec. 16 and wreath laying at 10 a.m. We invite you to join us to honor the veterans. Please bring a lawn chair to enjoy the ceremony.

This is a free event and open to the public and we need your help. There are nearly 2,015 veteran graves in Mountain View Cemetery. We would like to have enough wreaths sponsored for each veteran grave and we also need volunteers to help us lay the wreaths.

You can help us on this mission by visiting wreathsacrossamerica.org/az0190p; or you can mail your check to Wreaths Across America c/o Nancy Fassbender, 4657 S. Desert Dawn, Gold Canyon, AZ 85118. Each wreath is $17 and we have 150 more wreaths to be sponsored.

A special thank you to all who for the third year in a row have stepped up to help sponsor a wreath. Our major sponsors are American First, Crescent Crown, Guild Mortgage, Pima/Maricopa Indian Community, Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter 2560, VFW Post 9399 Auxiliary, Mountain View Cemetery and Texas RoadHouse.

Please join us at this moving ceremony If you have never had the privilege of being a part of this ceremony, you can be assured it is something that will stay with you as deeply touching respectful and unique.

Please register to be a volunteer at this ceremony at nfass@hotmail.com.

Nancy Fassbender is a 2020 Inductee of the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame and author of “My Fallen Hero.”