Education Exhibit Visits Cookeville To Honor Vets

Wreaths Across America’s Mobile Education Exhibit returned to Cookeville Monday to teach citizens about the importance of honoring veterans.

Volunteer Coordinator Tracy Chamberland said the exhibit is a kind of traveling museum with a small store, extensive information about Wreaths Across America, and three short videos detailing the organization, its founder, and the work it does. Chamberland said it is important to keep our veterans alive by honoring their names and sacrifices.

“I hope it brings awareness, more awareness to the community,” Chamberland said. “When I first started Wreaths Across America two years ago, honestly a lot of people didn’t know about Wreaths Across America. And I’m from Connecticut where I learned about them, so I was kind of – I was kind of a little shocked to hear that people didn’t know about them.”

Chamberland said people who visited the exhibit were able to donate to add wreaths to the graves of veterans in the Cookeville City Cemetery and Crest Lawn Cemetery. She said people are becoming more aware of what veterans have done for the country throughout history.

“The patriotic part of our country has kind of come alive, and the importance of what our veterans have done for us,” Chamberland said.

Chamberland said she also serves as the location coordinator for Wreaths Across America with the Cookeville City Cemetery.

“I just emailed to put in for them to come and see us and they actually came last year, and I brought them back again this year,” Chamberland said.