(LEFT) Indiana National Guard members stand before the Field of Valor Memorial as part of the 2025 Wreaths Across America. (RIGHT) Volunteers laying wreaths on veterans’ graves in Crown Hill Cemetery. Volunteers Gerrie Bonarrigo-Burton (in front) prepares to place a wreath on a veteran’s grave as Julie Morrison in back lays a wreath on another grave. (Photos provided by Margaret Hentz)
By CYNTHIA SEQUIN
For The Reporter
Despite facing Indiana’s first major snow and ice storm of this season, volunteers, military service members, and other officials from across central Indiana gathered on Saturday, Dec. 13 at Crown Hill National Cemetery in Indianapolis to lay wreaths on the graves of veterans.
About 200 people, including volunteers from Indianapolis, Carmel, Westfield, Fishers, and Noblesville, honored the 5,000-plus veterans buried in Crown Hill, which is the sixth largest private cemetery in the U.S. The National Wreaths Across America organization named the site as Indiana’s official location for wreath-laying. It is the ninth consecutive year the cemetery received this designation. David Ziemba of Indianapolis is an organizer of the program.
“I had the opportunity to work in D.C. in the early 2000s and became involved in this program at Arlington National Cemetery. It changed my life,” Zemba said. “When I returned to Indiana I stayed involved because we would not be who we are or the country we are without the sacrifice of all those buried in these cemeteries – around the world. I’m teaching my own sons about the importance of what this means.”
Maj. Gen. Lawrence “Larry” Muennich, Indiana National Guard adjutant general was the keynote speaker. U.S. Army Soldiers, civilian employees and family members from the Indiana National Guard, U.S. Army Financial Management Command and volunteers were in attendance. An opening ceremony was held at the Field of Valor memorial prior to the laying of the wreaths. Volunteers said each veteran’s name aloud as they placed the wreaths.
Joining Muennich were Command Sgt. Maj. Joshua A. Brown Indiana National Guard, and other guardsmen. Indiana officials in attendance at the event included Adjutant General of the Indiana National Guard Attorney General Todd Rokita, and a representative from the office of Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett.
“We do this to remember the fallen, honor those who have served and teach our children the value of freedom,” said Margaret Hentz, one of several volunteers from the Carmel-based Jonathon Jennings Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). Volunteers from the Carolyn Scott Harrison DAR also were present.
Similar events honoring buried American veterans were held around the globe. There are about 6,000 U.S. veterans’ cemeteries and volunteers laid more than 3.1 million wreaths on graves this year, according to Ziemba.
