Volunteers Expand The Wreaths Across America Mission

Karen and Randy L

Karen and Randy L

Randy and Tiffany

Randy and Tiffany

Members of the military who serve in Color Guard units understand funeral details are a routine part of the public affairs responsibility. U.S. Army veteran Randy Lewer and member of the Wreaths Across America SWAT (Special Wreath Advisory) Team said the funerals that impacted him the most on a personal level were the ones where the fallen had no witnesses at their grave sites.

In the early 90’s when Morrill Worcester and his family were placing the first donation of wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery, Randy was assigned to the 4th Infantry Division Color Guard in Colorado.

“The burials I remember the most were the ones which no one attended,” Randy recalls. “It just stuck with me that no one was there for them.”

In 2002, Randy joined the U.S. Military Veterans Motorcycle Club in Florida and that was the first time he heard about the mission of Wreaths Across America to remember the fallen, honor those who serve and teach younger generations the value of freedom. He said it was tough trying to convince some members to go to Arlington in December where it was cold so they decided in 2006 to do their own ceremony at Florida National Cemetery.


“A bunch of long-haired bikers got together in the rain that year with about 30 members of a local retirement community,” he explains describing the diversity of volunteers attracted to the mission. “To me, the ceremony is almost more important than the wreath itself. It’s about getting out there and remembering them for their service.”

Randy has lost his hair since that initial ceremony, but his passion to honor and pay respect to the men and women who have served our nation in the United States Armed Forces has grown.

Randy’s efforts to motivate and coordinate other community members has resulted in expanding from the six ceremonial wreaths to 27,000 veterans’ wreaths for the headstones of the heroes laid to rest at Florida National Cemetery.

“I’m a realist about this,” Randy explains of his location. “We have approximately 105,000 veterans and 10,000 spouses buried there. I know I’ll never get it all covered, but, for the last several years we’ve had over 10,000 people attend the ceremony and that’s a tremendous opportunity to show our younger generations how we honor and remember the sacrifices of those who protect freedom.”

As the Wreaths Across America Volunteer Location Coordinator for Florida National Randy attended the first SWAT training recently at the Wreaths Across America headquarters located in Columbia Falls, Maine. In doing so he was able to see the balsam valley tip land where the balsam fir trees are grown. He participated in our Remembrance Tree Program, made a veterans’ remembrance wreath and toured the Wreaths Across America National Museum.

“The best part for me was to get to know my Location Liaison Tiffany Strout and the rest of the staff. I can put names to the faces now and say thank you because I know the problems I create for this small staff in coordinating my cemetery event is multiplied by over 1,400 other locations and growing. It’s an awesome experience to get up here and see where it all started.”