September 20, 2024 – The Clovis chapter of Wreaths Across America is busily preparing for the organization’s annual event of placing wreaths on the graves of military servicemembers this coming December.
Local co-coordinator Linda Branam recently headed an event to fundraise for the event taking place, offering Clovis and Fresno attendees a hearty meal at Tahoe Joe’s.
Supporters were given an opportunity to purchase a meal ticket to spend time eating with each other at the restaurant, with some of the ticket proceeds going towards the organization. Total, they sold 92 tickets for the organization.
Out at the western steakhouse in Fresno at the intersections of Herndon and Cedar, attendees shared stories of community and camaraderie with fellow veteran service organizations, event organizers, and community supporters all while enjoying a delicious meal.
The fundraiser went on all day, starting out at 11AM just in time for an early lunch and going all the way until 9PM. Throughout that time, supporters gathered at a long wooden table near the back of the restaurant, in view of a giant taxidermized moose head that hung on the wall that sparked laughter from the attendees.
Conversation filled the table from beginning to end, with veterans speaking about their time overseas in Vietnam and other areas.
One of those veterans, Samuel Banuelos, spoke about his time as a Prisoner of War held by the Chinese military during the Korean War, having escaped after two years.
Another individual at the table shared a memory of being a driving for Walmart, who is one of Wreaths Across America’s biggest supporters, and driving around semitrucks full of wreaths to bring to cemeteries.
Other veterans also shared their experiences from their years in the military, exchanging stories with one another to keep the memories alive of their friends who have since passed.
These memories are the forefront of what Wreaths Across America does – every December 14th, across the United States, thousands of volunteers place wreaths on the graves of veterans to honor, remember, and educate, as the organization’s slogan states.
Clovis Veterans Memorial District (CVMD) Board Member and Red Bank and Academy Coordinator August Flach, who attended the fundraiser, spoke to this. He stated, “Remember the sacrifice, honor those who are serving, and teach the younger generation about the importance of what those folks have sacrificed.”
This sentiment is what inspired Branam, who founded the Clovis chapter in 2013. She observed that while there were hundreds of groups around the country placing wreaths on the graves of veterans, there were none to be found in the Clovis area, despite it being an area with a large veteran population.
When Branam and her husband were invited to a San Diego cemetery for the annual wreath-placing event, he and his friend spoke on the way back home about how they wondered why Clovis and surrounding areas were not part of it.
Branam stated, “We had no idea that we had almost four thousand veterans buried in the cemetery.”
She also added that the following year, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 3225 joined and placed wreaths at Red Bank and Academy cemeteries and this year, are adding Tollhouse and Auberry to their list as well.
But while Branam is co-coordinator of the group for the Clovis cemetery alongside Julie Lundholm, she made sure to acknowledge that hers are not the only hands that have played a part in this event. Community supporters, such as CVMD and the American Post Legion 147 in Clovis, are significantly important in pulling this off.
She stated, “This project takes a tremendous amount of time, effort, and funding. This is why we acknowledge the fact that so many of our local businesses and organizations participate. It truly could not happen at the level it does without the help of our great community.”
Branam and these organizations, as well as many others in Clovis, look forward to the annual wreath placement event on December 14th. Those interested in supporting through volunteer work or purchasing wreaths can go online at https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/pages/15514/overview/?relatedId=20700 or reach out to them through their Facebook page.