For Ronald and Lea Eppich, Wreaths Across America (WAA) is personal.
The Eppichs, who are Mohawk truck drivers and Calhoun GA residents, know firsthand how much it means to the families of fallen soldiers when a wreath is placed at their graves each year. Their son, Sgt Robert Eppich, died in 2006, just days after completing eight years of service with the United States Army.
“For me, Wreaths Across America has always been about honoring Robert and his fellow soldiers,” Lea Eppich said. “It’s important to me, because this is the time of year we miss him most.”
Wreaths Across America is a non-profit organization that coordinates the annual transport, delivery and placement of more than 2 million wreaths on the graves of US veterans across the world.
While the Eppichs are long-term personal volunteers for WAA, Mohawk has committed to corporate support for the first time this year. The Eppichs are two of the five company truck drivers who helped transport 5,337 wreaths on behalf of Mohawk to the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery on a route selected by Wreaths Across America. The Eppichs also had the honor of laying wreaths at the cemetery on Dec 14 for Wreaths Across America Day.
“One in five Mohawk truck drivers is a veteran," said Cameron Taylor, senior manager of fleet operations for Mohawk. “We’re proud of their service, and we’re proud of the contributions they make to our business every single day. We felt like this was a perfect opportunity to honor our Mohawk veterans and share our deepest appreciation for men and women who gave their lives serving our country.”
Mohawk covered the cost for company drivers to pick up and deliver the load of wreaths to their final destination. Drivers Seth Pippin and Todd Miles, who is a veteran, drove the company’s specially wrapped trailer roundtrip from Calhoun to pick up wreaths in Columbia Falls MN. The Eppichs transported the wreaths from Calhoun to Texas, where Stanley Clay, another Mohawk truck driver and veteran, delivered them to the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery.
“Mohawk is proud to support causes that mean a great deal to our people and our communities,” Taylor said. “Our teams do that in a lot of different ways—and this is one that’s incredibly special to our drivers.
“We’re glad we could be a part of this program that honors our veterans and their families.”