October 9, 2025 – Timothy Benefield, Sr.
Dave Dein is the CDL Coordinator and Instructor for the acclaimed Patterson High School Trucking Program. His father, Philip Dein, served four and a half years as a truck driver in World War II. According to Dein, “He is the one who inspired me to go into trucking.”
In 2021, Dein found a cause that combined his love of trucking, his respect for veterans like his father, and his passion for teaching. Wreaths Across America is a program that seeks to place Christmas wreaths on the graves of service members. He discovered that, while Arlington National Cemetery places a wreath on all 250,000 of its graves, only about 4,000 graves received wreaths at the San Joaquin National Cemetery near Los Banos, California. There are 50,000 veterans buried in this cemetery. Dein saw an opportunity to make a difference. In December of 2021, he and his Patterson High School truck driving students took part in their first wreath-laying ceremony. Not only are wreaths placed at the graves, but there is a tradition of speaking each veteran’s name aloud in order to honor their service.
Nebraska truck driver Ray “Joe” Brooks, Jr. once called hauling wreaths the greatest honor of his 30-year career. This message became a call to action for Mr. Dein and his students.