American novelist Ernest Hemingway once said, “Every man has two deaths, when he is buried in the ground and the last time someone says his name. In some ways men can be immortal.”
It is in the spirit of this quote that Love of Learning explores Wreaths Across America.
Several years ago, I drove up to Willamette National Cemetery in Portland where Paul Jeffrey Cochran is buried. Shane (Cochran) Fritz, Paul’s sister who is also a Philomath High graduate (Class of 1970), drove up from Stayton to meet me there. Together we laid a wreath on his grave as part of the Wreaths Across America program.
Wreaths Across America was originally started by Morrill Worcester, the owner of Worcester Wreath Co. of Harrington, Maine.
Back in 1992, Morrill, who was in the wreath business, had an extra truckload of wreaths. He and his employees wondered if they could do some good with the surplus. With the aid of a local senator, they arranged for the extra wreaths to be sent to Arlington National Cemetery so they could be placed on the graves of fallen veterans.
This initial act of generosity sparked interest in expanding the program.
Truckers and veterans from all over the country volunteered to transport additional truckloads of wreaths to Arlington to distribute. And the program continued to grow.
In 2007 a nonprofit was officially formed called Wreaths Across America to manage all the wreaths, funds and administration of the program.
What began as a truckload of extra wreaths has now turned into over 2.7 million wreaths that were distributed this past Saturday at over 4,000 national cemeteries and participating locations across the country.
Individual wreath sponsors and corporate donors pay for the wreaths. According to the nonprofit’s website, they reported $30 million of revenue — the bulk of which went toward the purchase and distribution of wreaths for veterans.
In the 30 years since it started, the third Saturday in December has become known as Wreaths Across America Day. According to the website, National Wreaths Across America Day has a simple mission: “Remember fallen U.S. veterans; honor those who serve; and teach your children the value of freedom.”
I thought this past weekend, we may be able to honor some of our local veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice defending our nation who are laid to rest right here in cemeteries across Benton County.
The first stop was to Shonnard’s Nursery to pick out a few wreaths suitable to place on the graves of veterans. They still had a fine selection of some beautiful wreaths in stock.
The second stop was Oak Lawn Cemetery to visit the gravesite of David “Doc” Styles, who was classmates with Paul Cochran in the PHS Class of 1966. David was drafted into the Army and trained as a combat medic, He later deployed to Vietnam and was killed in an enemy ambush on March 29, 1969. He is buried next to his parents Bud and Ira Styles, who once lived on Seventh Street in Philomath.
The third stop was the historic Summit Cemetery that was established back in 1865. It is a quiet tranquil place with large evergreen trees bordering it on all sides. This is the final resting place of Staff Sgt. Larry Gassner, who graduated PHS in 1967. He was also drafted, deployed to Vietnam, and ultimately killed in action May 31, 1970. He left behind a widow and an infant son.
A decorative evergreen arrangement was also placed at the gravesite of Dorthy Gassner, Larry’s Gold Star Mother, who passed away earlier this year. She is buried next to the son she lost in the Vietnam War more than 50 years ago.
Dorthy Gassner and her family donated a granite bench that bears her son’s name to the Benton County Veterans Memorial that sits at the National Guard Armory on Kings Boulevard in Corvallis. There is nothing stronger than a mother’s love.
Meanwhile back in Philomath, on Saturday afternoon, Life Scout, Owen Thomas, and his mother, Heidi Thomas, also agreed to assist this effort. They too got some wreaths from Shonnard’s to contribute.
Owen placed a wreath at Paul J. Cochran Veterans Memorial Park on Saturday afternoon. For those who don’t know, Owen is an active member of Scout Troop 161. His Eagle Scout project is to help lead scouts and adults in the building of flower boxes at the front of the park. He intends to complete his project this spring sometime.
Cochran was in the 101st Airborne Division also known as the “Screaming Eagles.” It seems very fitting that Owen is working on his Eagle Scout Project in the park to honor our fallen soldier.
Owen and his mother also journeyed up to Mount Union Cemetery to visit the late Beverly Durham and place a wreath on her graveside. Beverly Durham was Paul’s Gold Star Mother who passed away back in 2018.
For those who may not know, after Beverly passed away, her estate revealed that she wanted to gift the property on College Street to build a veterans park in honor of her fallen son. There is nothing stronger than a mother’s love.
Philomath has made great progress on constructing the park and is working to complete it next year.
The next wreath of the day went down to the Monroe Cemetery. This is an old cemetery dating back to the 1800s and is located not far off of Highway 99.
This is where a memorial headstone is located honoring the life, service and sacrifice of Albert Lewis Vandersee. Lewis, as he was commonly called, attended Philomath High School and graduated in the PHS Class of 1939. He was a three-sport athlete at PHS.
He served as a paratrooper in the Army in World War II from 1942-44 in both Holland, and Belgium. He was trained as a communications specialist and was also assigned to the 101st Airborne Division. He deployed with other Screaming Eagles to Bastogne, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge.
Bastogne at the time was a town similar in size to Philomath but became a battlefield during one of the fiercest battles of World War II.
Corp. Albert Lewis Vandersee was killed in action during the Battle of Bastogne on Dec. 25, 1944 — Christmas Day.
Lewis Vandersee was actually buried at the American Military Cemetery in Luxembourg. Incidentally, this is the same resting place where Gen. George Patton of WWII fame is located.
Lewis’s Gold Star Mother, Mrs. May Vandersee, never had the means to travel to Europe to visit her fallen son’s grave so instead she had a headstone created and placed in the Monroe Cemetery so she would have a place to visit him and ensure he was not forgotten. She herself is buried in the Vandersee family plot close to her son’s memorial marker. There is nothing stronger than a mother’s love.
All of these fallen heroes graduated Philomath High School. Before they were soldiers, they were Warriors and in the words of the late Coach Gary Cox, “Once a Warrior, Always a Warrior.” It is important to never forget their names. They all appear on the Benton County Veteran Memorial along over 100 other names of veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.
Wreaths Across America is a wonderful program and a great way to honor and remember the fallen. Perhaps we could consider doing something similar here in Benton County down the road.
(Eric Niemann is a former mayor and city councilor in Philomath. He can be reached at Lifeinphilomath@gmail.com).