“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclination, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.” —John Adams (1770)

Millions of Americans volunteer their time and resources to support organizations that honor our Veterans. Sometimes, because of who we are honoring, there can be blind spots about the operations of those organizations.

I did not have the heart before Christmas to write about serious fundraising concerns regarding Wreaths Across America, though I have been aware of the questions about “self-dealing” for some time.

Previously, The Patriot Post has taken on the uncomfortable task of exposing issues with high-profile military support organizations so that they can take corrective action.

Ten years ago, in “A Wounded Warrior Warning,” we raised concerns about how the Wounded Warrior Project was raising and distributing its funds.

WWP had honorable beginnings in 2003, founded by Veteran John Melia, who himself suffered severe injuries in a 1992 helicopter crash in Somalia. In 2005, WWP received a $2.7 million grant to “develop into a stand-alone charity with its own identity and programs.” That grant size itself is staggering. WWP became an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization soon thereafter, and it has done great work.

But by 2015, only about 55 cents of every dollar WWP took in directly benefited a wounded warrior. The balance was going to advertising, excessive compensation, administration, and expensive conferences. Consequently, at the time, WWP received a “D” rating from the American Institute of Philanthropy and only a C+ by Charity Watch. It ranked substantially below other national Veteran support groups. In 2016, its mismanagement led to a shakeup at WWP — the firing of the company’s CEO and a refocus on its core mission.

Now, after cleaning up operations and refocusing on the mission, the Wounded Warrior Project scores a 99% at Charity Navigator.

More recently, in “Dishonoring Our Fallen,” we took on a California-based organization, Honoring the Fallen, for staging airport “Honor Flights” that are generally reserved for those who were killed in action. The group fundraises on those flights and associated events, though some of the latter are certainly acceptable for military personnel who died for reasons unassociated with their domestic military service. The organization scores only a 76% at Charity Navigator, and it appears it is promoting fewer of the airport receptions mimicking those for military personnel KIA.

So, what about Wreaths Across America?

Before Christmas, almost 45,000 wreaths were placed at the historic Chattanooga National Cemetery, near our nation’s first National Military Park at Chickamauga. Our National Cemetery is the burial place of the first Medal of Honor recipients, those who served with Andrews’ Raiders. They rest in a circle around a prominent monument featuring “The General,” the engine involved in the Great Locomotive Chase.

My involvement with Chattanooga National Cemetery has primarily been an organizing role for flag placement on Veteran grave markers ahead of Memorial Day. This includes flagging the graves of personal friends, including Medal of Honor recipients Desmond Doss and Larry Taylor, among others.

I have marveled at the beauty of this solemn burial ground in December after wreaths are placed on each headstone. However, I did not know until recently that those wreaths were not placed under contract with Wreaths Across America but with a local, unaffiliated organization, Wreaths Across Chattanooga.

At our last weekly principals’ meeting of the National Medal of Honor Sustaining Fund in December, my friend GEN B.B. Bell (USA Ret.) advised me why, in 2022, we no longer contracted with Wreaths Across America after many years working with the group.

As B.B. explained: “Since 1992, the organization now formed as ‘Wreaths Across America’ has been honoring the gravesites of American Military Veterans during the Christmas season. But now, Wreaths Across Chattanooga is organizing and funding wreath placement at Chattanooga National Military Cemetery — at a cost per wreath which is much less than that charged by Wreaths Across America. As such, many more gravesites are now being honored.”

This year, Wreaths Across Chattanooga partnered with Virginia-based Food City, a company with a long history of military and Veteran support. And that price for this cemetery alone went from WAA’s $17 to just $10 per unit, a savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars for just this one cemetery.

But the local disaffiliation with WAA three years ago was very deliberate and for troubling reasons.

On further inquiry, I got an earful about the two other issues with Wreaths Across America.

First, according to The Wall Street Journal, there is a family tie between WAA and its wreath supplier, Worcester Wreath Company. As the Military Times reported in its 2023 investigation, WAA buys solely from its founders’ farm — more than $30 million in recent annual revenue to that family farm.

CharityWatch noted in December 2025: “For years Wreaths Across America (WAA) has cultivated a patriotic image built on honoring veterans, all while quietly channeling staggering sums of donor money into a private family business. CharityWatch’s latest analysis reveals that in 2024 alone, the charity paid over $28.5 million to Worcester Resources, a for-profit company owned by the same family that sits atop WAA’s board and leadership.” The watchdog organization notes, “In 2024, 76% of WAA’s program-related expenses went directly to Worcester Wreaths.”

The Wall Street Journal estimated 10 years ago that this family company was making $1 million a year off the sales to WAA, and those sales are much larger today.

However, there is a second problem with WAA fundraising that I consider more egregious.

As my friend CAPT Mickey McCamish (USN Ret.), Chairman of the Chattanooga wreaths organization, explained: “In 1992, wreaths were provided free by Worcester Wreath Company (owned by the same family that started Wreaths Across America) to Arlington National Cemetery. These were excess Wreaths at Christmas time and approved by the Veterans Administration. This continued until 2007, when Wreaths Across America was incorporated as an IRS 501(c)(3), and Wreaths Across America developed several programs to recruit organizations to purchase wreaths from them. One of these programs uses the graves of Veterans as a fundraiser for groups across the country. An organization raising funds to purchase $17 wreaths from WAA funds specifically designated for wreaths on Veterans’ graves on federal property (VA Cemetery) then receives $5 back from WAA after Christmas.”

There are no restrictions on how the millions of dollars returned to those organizations after Christmas are used.

McCamish concludes: “Wreaths Across America has become the official signal-caller regarding wreath placement at National Cemeteries. The relationship between WAA and the VA needs to be terminated, since it’s gone from free wreaths to a $30 million buy by WAA from Worcester Wreath Company, both controlled by the same family.”

Of note, according to McCamish, the wreaths acquired by his local organization were higher-quality than the $17 WAA wreaths, and they cost $10 delivered.

I have confirmed that non-veteran organizations have raised millions of dollars under contract with WAA, ostensibly all being used for the graves of Veterans, then received millions back in January with no use restrictions.

Wreaths Across America had honorable beginnings and intentions, but I believe this fundraising practice is not ethical.

I hope, as was the case when we detailed the fundraising practices of the Wounded Warrior Project a decade ago, that a year from now we can report that Wreaths Across America has changed its fundraising contracts and is no longer providing organizations with millions to use as they please.

Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis
Pro Deo et Libertate — 1776

Follow Mark Alexander on X/Twitter.

Comment | Share

---

Please join us praying for our Creator’s blessing upon our nation — that righteous leaders would rise and prevail so we could be united as Americans. Pray for the protection of and provision for our Military Patriots, Veterans, First Responders, and their families. Lift up your Patriot Post team and our mission to support and defend our legacy of American Liberty, that we would ignite the fires of freedom in the hearts and minds of our countrymen.

Thank you for supporting our nation’s premier online journal of Liberty.