Eight Vietnam War veterans were honored by the Wreaths Across America crew at Whale Park June 30. WAA partnered with the Vietnam Commemorative Commission to widen efforts making sure every Vietnam-era veteran receives a 50th anniversary commemorative pin, a challenge coin handshake and “welcome home,” said Mobile Education Exhibit Ambassador Stefan Brann.

“Wreaths Across America has partnered with this association to say thank you and welcome home. Since July of last year ... (we) have had the opportunity and privilege to say welcome home and say thank you to over 700 Vietnam and Vietnam-era veterans … Now we would like to thank you.”

Brann presented each veteran with a commemorative challenge coin, and read aloud the inscription: “Our nation's blood and treasure from a generation ago deserves the nation's thanks and gratitude, something they did not receive when they came home from Vietnam. Welcome home.”

As Brann finished handing out the coins, veteran Mike Fritz spoke up about others during the Vietnam era who suffered in silence: the wives. “What they put up with, we can't comprehend.”

“Perfect segue,” said WAA Director of Transportation and Education Don Queeney. Queeney and Brann provided “surviving spouse” pins to three women in the audience. These pins are also part of the Vietnam Commemorative Commission’s mission.

WAA staff ushered veterans and the audience to tour the bus and learn about the organization’s history in honoring all veterans; the WAA mission began in 1992 when Columbia Falls-based Worcester Wreath Company owner Morrill Worcester dedicated surplus wreaths to Arlington National Cemetery for gravesides in the older, less visited areas. In 2005, a photo of the headstones adorned with the wreaths went viral, so efforts grew significantly to bring in more wreaths every year. The 501 (c) (3) nonprofit was created in 2007.

“A veteran's wreath, before it becomes a wreath, is really just some balsam tips and a metal ring and a red bow. It's a very simple gesture, but once you put that wreath together, once you create it, once you present it to someone else, it becomes so much more. I'm always amazed how one wreath could mean so much to somebody …,” Brann said.

In the past year, WAA has been holding small events from California to Florida to Maine, said Queeney. The organization created COVID-19 procedures and followed all state guidelines along the way and events were fairly successful with 117 visits and over 5,000 people through the bus, he said. “We did 17 events in California, we did 15 in Texas, we were in the smallest towns in New Mexico … We didn't have big crowds, we were only seeing about 50, but it was good, they were engaged and they came out because they heard about us … We've done very well and there were a lot of good patriotic folks along the way.”

The bus will be at Wiscasset Speedway July 3 and continue touring Maine through July before it moves on to New York, Tennessee and Florida by October. The bus will come back to Maine just as wreath-making season begins.