A lesson about value of freedom

“The mission of Wreaths Across America is to remember the fallen, honor those who have served and their families, and teach the next generation the value of freedom,” Executive Director Karen Worcester said in a statement. “The Mobile Education Exhibit provides the unique opportunity for communities to come together and share the stories of those who served and sacrificed. Through our partnership with the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration, the Exhibit also serves as an official ‘Welcome Home’ location for our nation’s Vietnam veterans.”

Tuesday’s event was co-hosted by Antelope Valley Chapter of Daughter of the American Revolution, Vets 4 Veterans and the Friends of the Lancaster Cemetery.

“I’ve pinned ‘welcome home’ to at least four Vietnam veterans, which is really awesome to be able to welcome them home,” Vicki Fisher, regent for the Antelope Valley Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution, said.

Wreaths Across America ambassadors, married couple Deborah and DeLane Kellogg, drive the trailer exhibit across the country. They started, on Jan. 16, in Palm Springs. The Kelloggs drive for three weeks at a time. They are replaced by another team for two weeks.

“We trade on and off all year long,” Deborah Kellogg said.

 The exhibit will visit 25 cities across California, concluding its tour in El Centro, on March 4. The Mobile Education Exhibit travels the country and finishes the year at Arlington National Cemetery for Wreaths Across America Day, which, this year, is on Dec. 16.

“Neither one of us are veterans; this is our way to give back,” Deborah Kellogg said. “We’re also welcoming home Vietnam veterans.”

The Kelloggs had 165 events in 27 states, last year. They welcomed home 1,361 veterans.

“We had 16,374 people through here and that was just through the first of December,” DeLane Kellogg said. “We started, in February.”

They also visited six different schools with anywhere between 300 to 500 students at each school.

“I am so honored,” De­Lane Kellogg said. “We did over 47,000 miles last year.”

Within three hours of the exhibit opening, the Kelloggs welcome home 11 veterans. US Navy veteran Lowell White was No. 12. White served from 1959 to 1964.

The Kelloggs presented Lowell with a proclamation and a pin.

“This is a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War; it’s for the whole Vietnam era” Deborah said. “This proclamation was first signed in 2012. It’s signed by every president after until 2025. It’s not to celebrate the Vietnam War but to officially welcome home its military because you weren’t (there).”

White’s wife Evelyn did the honors of pinning the pin on her husband.

The Kelloggs also presented White with a “welcome home” hat from Wreaths Across America. Fisher also presented White with a “welcome home” pin.

White learned about the Wreaths Across America event at his veterans meeting, Monday morning.

“I support it,” he said.

White finished his morning errands, on Tuesday, and picked up Evelyn so she could go with him.

“It’s very personal for us,” she said, “because our son is also in the Army. He was over in a couple of the conflicts and he was injured. They thought that at one point they were going to have to take his spleen out and he was all the way in Germany. Here we were over here, when we say thank you for our service and our freedom, I think sometimes people don’t really get it. This is like the ultimate gift of service.”

jdrake@avpress.com