Being raised in a military family and a longtime member of the trucking industry, Virginia Bulger finds Wreaths Across America Day heartwarming and inspiring, as many companies, volunteers and families come together to support the same message: to remember, honor and teach. 

This week on Trucking Tributes, host Elisabeth Barna welcomes Bulger, the Government and Community Affairs Manager at Transurban. In addition to being a trucking industry expert, Bulger is connected to the Wreaths Across America mission to remember and honor veterans because her father and grandfather served in the military. 

Bulger’s family participates in the wreath-laying tradition every year. She recounts one Wreaths Across America Day that her family arrived at her grandfather’s grave to find a wreath already placed. Bulger acknowledged her initial disappointment, but then reflected on the importance of saying the person’s name as a wreath is placed on the grave. “Maybe someone is going to go home and Google him, and maybe someone is going to learn something about grandpa today. So maybe I don’t have to be the first one to lay a wreath at his grave,” Bulger said. 

She said that sharing veterans’ stories and America’s history is vital to understanding the value of freedom. She noted that acknowledging the truck drivers and the mission of Wreaths Across America is a great way to learn more about those who have served.

“There’s such a profound reason why I, as a family member, find it so important for people to understand this and understand the mission of those that serve, but also the ones we lost that were protecting our rights to live and breathe and do all that we’re doing,” Bulger said.

Tune in to Trucking Tributes on Wreaths Across America Radio’s Trucking Tuesday at 10 a.m. and again at 4 p.m. EST to hear more about Bulger’s experiences with Wreaths Across America. You can also listen on demand on SoundCloud here.