News : Wreaths Across America: Many honor veterans at Mount Auburn Cemetery

This wreath in Mount Auburn honors Commander David W. Wood, who was buried at sea.

The veterans honored at Mount Auburn Cemetery are listed here.

At the top of the pyramid of cannonballs near the top of the hill at Mount Auburn Cemetery, a wreath will remain for the next several weeks.

That wreath was placed in honor of Commander David W. Wood, a Naval officer who was buried at sea in 2013. He had enlisted in the Navy in 1972 and retired as a Commander in 1997, after 25 years. Commander Wood proudly served on the USS Sampson in Athens, Greece; USS Stribling in Jacksonville, FL; USS Wainwright in Charleston, SC; USS Cochrane in Pearl Harbor, HI; USS Raleigh in Norfolk, VA; as the Executive Officer of the USS Mount Baker in Charleston, SC, and as the Commanding Officer of the USS Butte in Sandy Hook, NJ. He served as the Executive Officer of the Charleston Naval Station. Commander Wood’s awards include the Meritorious Service Medal (three awards) and the Navy Commendation medal as well as service awards.

"Every stone tells a story," said Ruth Coots Intlekofer, who led the Saturday ceremony where every veteran buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery had a wreath laid at his tombstone. The Mount Auburn tribute was one of more than 1,000 ceremonies that took place simultaneously across the country.

Area Scouts, the Cedar-Mount Auburn Fire Department and veterans joined family and friends in offering a tribute to each veteran who is buried there. Veterans saluted after placing a wreath at a tombstone and family members paused for a moment of reflection or prayer.

Ruth offered this message of thanks to all who helped:

Thank you to everyone that helped make Wreaths Across America successful in Mt Auburn last Saturday. We are so fortunate that so many people step up to help through donations for the purchase of the wreaths, the Mt Auburn American Legion for taking care of the avenues of flags in the cemetery, the Boy Scouts, the Mt Auburn Fire Department, Starr Auction Service, Hendryx Electric, Toni Perizak from Benton County Veterans Affairs, laying of the ceremonial wreaths by KC Robb, Terri Calhoun, Roger Uthoff, Emily Oldfather, Tracie Mahan, Alex Silver, the Mt Auburn ladies who furnished cookies, the Progress Review for providing the programs, the volunteers who helped lay the wreaths, Megan Jorgensen for playing TAPS, Vinton Today, Progress Review, and Community Newspapers who provide press coverage, and the many volunteers that help behind the scenes. Without volunteers, recognition of our Veterans would not be possible. Lest we never forget: Every stone tells a story.

The 3rd annual Mount Auburn Wreaths Across America ceremony has already been scheduled for Dec. 17, 2016. For more information about how to participate in this tribute, contact Ruth at 636-262-7818.

See more photos HERE.