Honoring Our Veterans One Wreath At A Time

The country’s longest veteran’s parade happened this weekend, and U.S. Army Veteran Shaddy Bowling proudly represented Pilot Company as the first of its drivers to participate in the Wreaths Across America transport of wreaths from Maine to Arlington National Cemetery.

On Thursday, the 65-truck envoy loaded up more than two million wreaths from Maine to take to 3,100 veteran burial sites, including the Arlington National Cemetery – Shaddy’s destination. These balsam bough loops, stamped with a crimson ribbon, are carefully placed onto each grave by volunteers, who take a slight step back and briefly pause before saying that soldier’s name aloud.

I’m usually not a very emotional type of guy, but I don’t think any human being with a heartbeat could lay a wreath [down] without it bringing tears to their eyes. – Shaddy Bowling

Shaddy served the U.S. Army for more than a decade before suffering from an IED explosion that sent shrapnel into his leg, which couldn’t be removed. He spent the following year recovering from several injuries – a fractured skull, a torn spine, broken bones – before joining Pilot Company as a driver. To Shaddy, the “independence of [driving] and the freedom of the road allows me to relax better than any normal job would.”

That’s why the veteran was honored when Pilot Company bought a trailer and designed a wrap specifically for Wreaths Across America, hand-selecting him to represent the company in this year’s event.

“I’ve always held Pilot in high regard,” Shaddy relayed. “They’ve always been extremely veteran-friendly, but to know that they purchased a trailer, spent the money to have it designed, and went out of their way to participate in this speaks volumes of Pilot’s character as a company. And to allow one of their own to do it was a privilege.”

Pilot Company got involved in Wreaths Across America nine years ago, sponsoring a driver dinner for about 20-25 drivers. That dinner served over 100 drivers this past Friday night, with more than 250 guests attending. The company has donated millions of dollars to the event, even selling coffee cups in stores to help donate to the cause. This year, Pilot Company not only purchased the trailer and actively participated in the event, but also donated to Knoxville’s Wreaths Across America, which allowed the organization to meet their goal and cover every grave in the city.

“If you think about it, Wreaths Across America couldn’t happen without the trucks and drivers that deliver the wreaths to these gravesites across the country,” Wendy Hamilton, Pilot Company’s Senior Manager of Operations and Executive Support, said. “The drivers that deliver the wreaths are heroes delivering to heroes.”

Shaddy trekked from Maine to Texas – an 812-mile drive – with his wife, who is also a veteran, to drop off 4,050 boxes of wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery. They laid around 60 wreaths each, quietly pausing at each tomb before softly speaking that veteran’s name aloud.

To Wendy, that moment is a marker of the holiday season for us as a nation.

“Now is the time to take a collective breath, to take a step back, and be thankful for the people who have served our country and made the ultimate sacrifice,” Wendy said.