Husky Salute Squad works to ensure veterans are never forgotten

"To be killed in war is not the worst that can happen. To be lost is not the worst that can happen. To be forgotten is the worst."

—Pierre Claessens

Claessens, a native of Belgium, lived through both World Wars and saw the devastation they caused. Among the many charitable things he did throughout his life, honoring veterans was near the top of the list.

Wayne County resident Kevin Keener and his wife Joyce have a similar drive. Too many veterans, living and passed, are not getting the respect they deserve. The Keeners, as a result, have created the Husky Salute Squad, a group based in Northwestern Wayne County dedicated to preserving the memories of those who have served.

“It actually started just a little bit before Labor Day of this year,” Kevin Keener said. “Basically, what it was is my wife and I wanted to bring the Wreaths Across America into our community. We’re part of the Northwestern Ruritans, which is a club that does things for the community. They wanted us to be a separate entity.”

Wreaths Across America is a national organization with the three-pronged motto: "Remember. Honor. Teach." Remember is for the fallen, honor is for those still serving and teach is for the next generation, whose job it will eventually be to carry on the work.

The 2026 National Wreaths Across America Day, when live wreaths will be placed on graves, will be Dec. 19, when more than 2 million volunteers will participate at some 5,200 locations throughout the U.S., at sea and abroad.

The Keeners and their crew took part in the most recent day Dec. 13, helping place 700 wreaths in northwestern community cemeteries alone.

The Husky Salute Squad will take part in that again next year but will go well beyond that single cause.

“There’s a lot more than just the wreaths,” Kevin Keener said. “The basic point of all this is honoring the veterans. That’s the point we’re getting across to society these days. You see a veteran, you shake their hand. You say, ‘Thank you for your service.’ You go to a cemetery. Society doesn’t really do that anymore. That’s our main goal, just to get other people involved and aware. We’d love to see this go all over Wayne County and bordering counties and just have it grow all over. People don’t think about this anymore. They just take it for granted.”

Wreaths Across America focuses on national cemeteries and memorials. Many deceased military members have been laid to rest in civilian places.

“In these local cemeteries, some of the bios we’ve read will blow your mind — what these guys have been through or done or sacrificed,” Kevin Keener said. “It’s like, ‘Holy cow.’ You wouldn’t think of someone like that buried in a local cemetery.”

Keener then gave the example of one Civil War soldier who enlisted and headed to battle. Five days later he was killed. Many stories are far less dramatic but can still be told. Graves can be adorned and cleaned, and soldiers can be remembered.

“You go to the old part of the cemetery and what you see is a stone, and there’s nothing to identify that person,” Joyce Keener said. “We want to bring that back where there is a name and not just a stone.”

Anyone wanting to get connected with the Husky Salute Squad can visit its Facebook page, call 330-465-9178, email justapigshow@gmail.com or contact the Northwestern Ruritan Club.