What's Your Why? Volunteer Spotlight on Jerry Tiarsmith and Patrick Cusack


Wreaths Across America often speaks of the heart and courage of the military, but we don’t share as much about those who desperately wanted to take the oath of enlistment but were turned away. This story is about a man who turned his rejection from the military into a record of service nonetheless; service to his brothers, community, and God. It’s also a story about reconciliation, healing, and making connections. Through Wreaths Across America, people create life-long bonds while honoring and serving veterans and their families.

Jerry Tiarsmith and Patrick Cusack were not born to the same parents and did not grow up together. Yet, they are brothers of St. Jude the Apostle Assembly 3856 of the Fourth Degree of Knights of Columbus at St. Jude Parish in Sandy Springs, Georgia. They both independently cited the same long-standing tradition of the Knights of Columbus as one reason for joining the Catholic Fraternal organization. “My father-in-law was the founder of the Knights of Columbus in his local parish in Alabama,” Jerry shared. ”When he died, the Knights held a vigil through the night between his viewing and funeral. I was impressed by any organization that would honor its deceased members in that way. So, I decided to join the Knights of Columbus when I got home.” Patrick readily admits that was part of his motivation to join. “Seeing that vigil when I was younger made an impression on me. I was already active in the parish and was extended an invitation to join, and did.”

This year, the Knights of Columbus celebrates 140 years since its founding. Starting in 1882 at a small parish in New Haven, Connecticut, the mortality rate for Irish immigrants was high. An association of men was created to care for widows and orphans. There are four levels within the organization with the 4th Degree supporting patriotic and veteran-related activities like Wreaths Across America. The mission to remember, honor, and teach meshes well with the three fundamental orders of the Knights, which are charity, unity, and fraternity.

Together, Jerry, Patrick, and the other Knights within Assembly 3856, support wreath-laying activities at Georgia National Cemetery, Canton National, and the Johns Creek Veterans Memorial Walk. It’s personal for Jerry. He’s a U.S. military veteran, having served in the Navy for most of his military career before transferring his commission to the Army as an Airborne Infantry Officer. “I can’t hold a job,” he quipped. “I worked a lot of conventional and nonconventional assignments over the years. In ’82, I transferred my commission, and after four years in the Army, I decided it was time to get out.”

Jerry explains how the Knights got involved with the mission. “I’ve been aware of Wreaths Across America and what was happening at Arlington for some time, but my first involvement was in 2017 as a Faithful Navigator for another parish. We got involved with Wreaths Across America in a small way in that community cemetery. I was only there for a year. When our assembly at St Jude was formed, we decided we would donate, and we raised about thirteen hundred dollars. We made a donation under the 3 for 2 program, making it possible to place a hundred and twenty-nine wreaths. That was nice and all, but we wanted to do something different, and that’s where Patrick came in. He took over and got us signed up as a sponsorship group. We set a goal of about five hundred wreaths, and we doubled that.”

Both past and present, serving veterans is a deep-held motivation for Patrick. “Way, way, way back, I wanted to have a military career, but unfortunately, because I had a seizure when I was a kid, the military wouldn’t accept me. My father and brother and all my uncles were in the military. As a kid growing up, in the evening around a campfire, we would hear some about the events they had to deal with. My dad served in England and France during World War II, and some of his mates didn’t come home. I remember him telling me about them.” Patrick desperately wanted to carry on the family legacy of military service. He knew he wanted a career in uniformed service. Those dreams were dashed. “I was angry and bitter. Really angry at my dad,” Patrick shared. “The draft was still active, and when I turned eighteen years old, I received the paperwork and filled it out. My father asked to see it and told me I had answered one of the questions wrong. I had a seizure when I was a kid, and nothing had happened since, so I didn’t acknowledge it on the form. It has been six years. He said, ‘no, you need to tell them about that.’ I got a letter from the draft board declaring me 4-F. My reaction was, I saw the entire 30-year career I was hoping to have fly out the window. I was really resentful of my dad, and it took me years to understand it was the right thing. Later on, it became a joke when I finally realized that if I was in a battle and other people were dependent on me and the seizure came back, I could have endangered someone's life.”

Patrick and Jerry are committed to the teaching portion of the Wreaths Across America mission. “We’re big on the volunteer portion, and we had thirty-four volunteers, some family units, come out on Wreaths Day to lay wreaths,” Jerry shared. “We hope to do more this year with our schools.”

Thank you, Jerry, Patrick, and St. Jude the Apostle Assembly 3856 Knights of Columbus, for all you do to help us remember, honor, and teach in Georgia!

Here’s a link to their full interview that aired on Wreaths Across America Radio: https://bit.ly/3E7c3V5