On Saturday, Dec. 17, staff from the State Veterans Cemeteries in Little Falls, Duluth and Preston hosted holiday wreath placement events for the community. 2022 marked the return of in-person programming following a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This annual Minnesota Department of Veterans (MDVA) event proudly honors Veterans’ service and sacrifice to this country and offers surviving family and friends the opportunity to connect with other survivors during what can be a profoundly lonely time of year. MDVA is dedicated to helping Veterans’ loved ones experience a sense of warmth, comfort and support at their final resting place. During the winter holidays, in particular, we work to create a special environment where meaningful, one-of-a-kind memories can be shared. This environment is enhanced by memorial wreaths that are placed on all headstones.

In Preston:

• 250 guests attended the wreath-laying program.
• Robert Gross, Cemetery Administrator, spoke at the event.
• Families placed the honor wreaths for the different branches of the military as well as POW/MIA.
• Many attendees were experiencing their first year without their loved one, and it was a powerful, palpable moment filled with a wide range of emotions: sadness and tears, happiness and laughter. Standing together, in person at the gravesites, was a reminder of the strong military community of support.

In Duluth:

• A horrific winter storm, producing nearly two feet of snow and extremely poor driving conditions (with some roads nearly impassable), could not dampen the spirits of those who were steadfastly committed to attending this event.
• Approximately 50 individuals braved the elements. Interestingly, half of the participants did not have family members buried here. Even without a personal connection to the Cemetery, they chose to attend because of the local community’s strong support of Veterans.
• Dedicated Cemetery staff cleared headstones, walked the sections to create pathways for people to use and cleaned the immediate roadways.
• Cemetery Administrator Cory Johnson delivered the presentation before wreaths were laid.

In Little Falls:

• Approximately 600 people, including Veteran families and friends, community residents and volunteers/staff from Wreaths for the Fallen, attended this event.
• The program’s keynote speaker was Erik Sogge, Cemetery Administrator.
• Wreaths for the Fallen chose to honor the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) organization, having seven DAV members place the memorial wreaths (all service branches, including Merchant Marines, and POW) during the opening ceremony.
• There was overwhelming support from local communities and organizations to make this gathering possible. In addition to Wreaths for the Fallen fundraising and event coordination, Camp Ripley provided supplies at no cost as well as a large number of volunteers to place wreaths; American Legion Riders, Boy Scouts and local Veteran Service Organizations assisted with traffic control; the Patriot Guard provided an honorary flag line; and the Memorial Rifle Squad served as the event color guard and offered a rifle salute with live Taps.

MDVA extends its gratitude to Cemetery staff at all three locations (and their supportive families) for their time, energy and efforts before, during and after the event. Guests were warmly welcomed, questions were promptly answered and necessary assistance was professionally provided.

A reminder: Visitors who travel to our State Veterans Cemeteries between now and the end of January are invited to enjoy the beautiful sea of wreaths that were placed this month. Factors such as weather, Cemetery location and wreath conditions may slightly adjust the wreath removal timeframe.

If you have questions about a specific location, you can contact us at our Cemetery offices. In Preston, call (507) 765-7320; in Duluth, call (218) 520-0120; and in Little Falls, call (320) 616-2527.