The Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs is again teaming up with Wreaths Across America to place wreaths on graves at the state’s veterans’ cemeteries. The flower arrangements are donated by the national nonprofit, and Juan Renaud, the department’s deputy commissioner, said family members of the veterans play a big role in the ceremonies.
“The host of Wreaths Across America has a presentation in the beginning. And they’ll have a guest speaker that comes in and then they’ll let everyone go out to the various sections of the cemeteries. And then usually we try to let the family members in those sections go out and place those wreaths themselves first.”
Renaud said volunteers place the rest of the wreaths afterwards – and anyone who wants to honor veterans is invited to attend the events.
“It’s the recognition and the camaraderie with the community to honor, continue to honor those veterans and the families. Those families serve just as well as much as those veterans serve. So it’s an opportunity for the community to show their appreciation.”
The state has five veterans’ cemeteries.
Wreaths Across America schedule
- Kentucky Veterans Cemetery Southeast, Hyden – 9:30 a.m. Dec. 9
- Kentucky Veterans Cemetery North, Williamstown – 10 a.m. Dec. 9
- Kentucky Veterans Cemetery West, Hopkinsville – 11 a.m. Dec. 16
- Kentucky Veterans Cemetery Central, Radcliff – 10 a.m. Dec. 16
This story is republished with permission from WEKU. Read the original.
John McGary is a Lexington native and Navy veteran with three decades of radio, television and newspaper experience. He comes to WEKU from The Woodford Sun, where he was editor while covering government meetings, reporting on community events and taking photographs. At the Sun, he won multiple awards for news and feature stories and columns. At WLEX-TV, John won a Midwest Regional Emmy for an investigative story about illegal dumping and in 2003, was named Best Television Reporter by the Kentucky Associated Press. In the Navy, he was named Print Journalist of the Year once and Navy Broadcaster of the Year twice. John’s radio experience includes news and starting a radio magazine show at NTC Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and co-hosting a morning news/talk show in Owensboro, Ky. while working for The Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer.
