What's Your Why? Volunteer Spotlight on Jeanette Montoya Hernandez


“We’ve got to do this big, and we’ve got to do it right!” Those were the marching orders Jeanette Montoya Hernandez issued when she got involved with Wreaths Across America through the U.S. Naval Sea Cadets Corps program in Utah.

“Eleven years ago, the unit I was supporting was learning about Wreaths Across America, and they decided they wanted to take part,” Jeanette shared. “I offered to look for a cemetery we might be able to sponsor, and that’s where my journey began.”

Jeanette’s husband serves in the U.S. Army, but her involvement with the Sea Cadets program started with her kids and blossomed from there. “When we moved to Utah, I was looking for something outside of the regular extracurricular activities that were available for the kids. Something to teach them more in-depth about what it really means to be an American and what it means to serve; the importance of why their dad was going away and being deployed. We were already a military family, so I thought it would be a good program for them. I thought it would teach them the respect that comes with the uniform. I signed them up for the Battleship Utah Division. They said they needed volunteers as well with admin duties, so I said I’m bringing the kids in any way, so I’ll stick around and help.” Jeanette’s responsibilities have evolved with the organization. “I’m proud to share today that I’m a Lt. Commander, as the Area 15 Regional Director, and oversee all the Sea Cadet Units for the Sea Cadet National Headquarters in Arlington for the states of Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado.”

Jeanette also serves as a volunteer Location Coordinator for the Wreaths Across America ceremonies at the Fort Douglas Cemetery in Salt Lake City, Utah. She said that when she researched Wreaths Across America to be able to explain it to others, she was humbled by the mission. “I have family that served, and my husband is a soldier,” Jeanette expressed. “Just thinking about someday when we’re long gone, thanks to Wreaths Across America, the sacrifices that he made won’t be forgotten, and his name will be said out loud; it hit me in a different way. My husband’s been in the service for eighteen years and is currently serving as a First Sergeant with a Special Forces group. He’s a paratrooper and has been deployed seven times.” Jeanette knows the family serves, and they recently celebrated, over the Independence Day holiday, her husband's return from a short deployment. Jeanette shared that she knew how tough it was for her while her husband was away but never fully comprehended what impact it was having on her children until her daughter, eleven years old at the time, won a Veteran’s Day writing contest in her school for a poem called, Through the Eyes of a Soldier’s Daughter. It speaks to sacrifice, patriotism and pride.

 

Sometimes I see an empty chair

a truck that hasn’t moved

There are household chores left undone

and no one up at five to go for a run

 

I see holidays, birthdays, and my parent's anniversary dates arrive

softball games come and go without my daddy by my side

 

I feel the loneliness in the house

I see the worry on my mom’s face

I see the flag in our yard blowing in the wind

and my heart begins to race

It makes me think how proud my dad is each morning lacing up his boots

This thought fills me with pride

 

Separated family is a sacrifice we must make

For my dad to continue to fight for freedom's sake

I see the freedoms we all enjoy

Because of brave people like my dad who will stand up to deploy

 

I see a young girl who misses her dad because he’s always gone

I see a girl who knows she can never make up for lost times

and memories unshared

I see a young girl who is often very scared

 

I see a young girl who waits for calls

I see a young girl who wants her dad to come home safe

so home can be back to a normal place

 

I see this through the eyes of a soldier’s daughter.

 

Understanding sacrifice and respect for her husband’s service and that of others compelled Jeanette to hit the ground running with the sea cadets and their families to educate them about the mission to remember, honor, and teach.

Jeanette asked the cadets and their families to investigate if Wreaths Across America ceremonies were taking place in cemeteries where they had family members laid to rest. “Then we started canvasing the communities for wreath sponsorships, and the first year, we started with three hundred wreaths, and I was so proud of the effort. As the years continued, I started earlier in the year, and it’s grown from that first year to covering all the veterans in our cemetery and having some extra wreaths to share with other cemeteries this past year. It’s been tremendous growth, and there are many people with whom I’m blessed that they jumped on board with me.”

Jump on board they did and will continue to do, so hometown heroes are honored each year without fail.

Thank you, Jeanette, your husband, and the U.S. Navy Sea Cadets for serving our nation. You can hear more of Jeanette's interview in our What’s Your Why feature on Wreaths Across America Radio.