Not as planned, but 1,200 wreaths were still placed to honor veterans in Mt. Hope Cemetery

There wasn’t a big to-do for Wreaths Across America in Webb City this year – but the job of honoring 1,200 veterans in Mt. Hope Cemetery got done just the same.

“Sometimes you put all that work into planning –and sometimes doing something from the heart is nicer,” says Susie Crutcher, who has championed the event for three years.

There were well-attended ceremonies the previous two years, and there was supposed to be one again this year at 11 a.m. Saturday, but the wreaths didn’t get here on time.

The wreaths were loaded and left Harrington, Maine, on schedule, but the semi-trailer truck got delayed by the storm in the Great Lakes region.

When Crutcher learned the wreaths would arrive at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, she put out the call for volunteers.

She reports that about 100 showed up, including a lot of JROTC cadets from Webb City and Carl Junction high schools, along with members of the Civil Air Patrol and veterans organizations.

“We got them (wreaths) unloaded and had an impromptu ceremony at the veterans wall,” says Crutcher. “Made me cry – it was so beautiful. I asked, ‘Can we sing God Bless America?’ and we did. Then we all split up to place the wreaths and were done by noon.”

The 1,200 wreaths placed here are among 1.6 million made each year by the Worcester Wreath Co. Wreaths Across America got started in 1992 when the company had a surplus of wreaths and delivered them to Arlington National Cemetery.

The annual patriotic tribute that started with one truck now involves 190 trucking companies delivering wreaths to 1,200 cemeteries across the nation.

Donations to purchase the wreaths locally are collected year-round online.