By JOHN MOYLE
IBEW Local 1

OVERLAND COUNCILMAN Patrick Wroblewski, candidate or Missouri House District 72 (left), IBEW Local 1 President Jim Reinheimer (center), and Creve Coeur Councilwoman Nicole Greer, candidate for state House District 71, and her grandson Tiago take a break from placing flags at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery for Memorial Day.– John Moyle/IBEW Local 1 photo

Lemay, MO – About 120 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers IBEW Local 1 members, their families, and others, placed American flags on at 12,000 headstones in section 1NN at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery May 24 to honor America’s fallen service members for Memorial Day. Among them were members of Local 1’s Veterans Committee, as well as members of the Local 1’s Chapter of the Electrical Worker’s Riding Club.

The event, along with the efforts of Scouts USA troops and Girl Scout troops from across the region and many other local organizations, resulted in about 185,000 graves being decorated ahead of the busiest visiting day of the year at the national cemetery.

ANNUAL VOLUNTEER EFFORT
Local 1 has been assisting with the annual event since 2020, when retired communications journeyman Rickey Dinnella learned the Scouts weren’t able to place flags that year due to COVID restrictions and organized volunteers to help. They’ve been a part of the solemn event ever since.

OVERLAND COUNCILMAN Patrick Wroblewski, candidate or Missouri House District 72 (left), IBEW Local 1 President Jim Reinheimer (center), and Creve Coeur Councilwoman Nicole Greer, candidate for state House District 71, and her grandson Tiago take a break from placing flags at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery for Memorial Day.– John Moyle/IBEW Local 1 photo

ELECTRICAL WORKERS RIDING CLUB, (from left) IBEW Local 1 members Treasurer Chuck Demoulin, Executive Board member Jim Adams, former president Norm Moss and Road Captain Jeff Riddle. – John Moyle/IBEW Local 1 photo

About 60 IBEW volunteers returned the day after Memorial Day to carefully remove and store the flags and for use again next year. Among them were Overland Councilperson Patrick Wroblewski, candidate for Missouri House District 72, and Creve Coeur Councilperson Nicole Greer, candidate for Missouri House District 71, as well as her grandson. Both volunteered when they learned additional help was needed, especially on the day after Memorial Day.

WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA

IBEW LOCAL 1 VETERANS COMMITTEE members (from left) Joe Clarkson, Brandan Wanta, Local 1 Business Manager Frank Jacobs, Local 1 retiree and event organizer Rickey Dinnella, Local 1 Financial Secretary Steve Muehling, Local 1 Veterans Committee Chairman Tim Cleveland and Veterans Committee member John Moyle. – IBEW Local 1 photo

In addition to organizing the event every year, Dinnella also is a volunteer group leader with Wreaths Across America’s yearly effort to place over 57,000 wreaths on graves in Jefferson Barracks ahead of the holidays. The annual effort is funded through the support of local sponsors and volunteers.

To learn more about becoming a Wreaths Across America sponsor, visit wreathsacrossamerica.org, or contact Dinnella at 636-541-8358.

(John Moyle is an award-winning writer and communication technician with IBEW Local 1.)

Filed under: Featured, IBEW Local 1

Home

IBEW Local 1 volunteers honor fallen service members on Memorial Day