Join the 3rd annual Wreaths Across America ceremony on Dec. 17, 9 a.m., at Beal Memorial Cemetery as veterans honor and remember fallen comrades this holiday season. Part of the national Wreaths Across America program, wreaths are purchased by local donors online and delivered by truck a few days before the Dec. 17 ceremony. Help from the community is needed by sponsoring wreaths, helping on Wreath Day or by attending the event where the motto “Honor, Remember and Teach” is witnessed in practice. All ages, from all walks of life are welcome to honor the lives of the veterans who served. Last year, more than 1,300 wreaths were laid at the Beal Memorial cemetery (up from 600 in the first year) sponsored by members of the community.
Wreaths Across America was started 29 years ago this December, when a wreath-maker from Maine had 5,000 extra wreaths. Rather than letting them go to waste, he gave the wreaths as a gift of thanks for the service and sacrifice made by our nation’s military so he could live freely to work and raise his family. Morrill Worcester could never have foreseen then how this simple gesture would ignite a passion in the hearts and souls of millions of Americans many years later.
On its 25th Anniversary in December 2016, what started as 5,000 wreaths at Arlington, Va., grew to 1.2 MM wreaths at 1,228 locations nationwide. At Arlington National Cemetery specifically, 245,000 wreaths were placed by more than 44,000 – one for each marker in the cemetery. More than 400 truckloads of wreaths were transported across the country through a network of hundreds of volunteer drivers, donated trucking and diesel, and countless hours of dedicated volunteers committed to remember, honor and teach.
Each live, balsam remembrance wreath is a gift of respect and appreciation, donated by a private citizen or organization and placed on the graves by volunteers as a small gesture of gratitude for the freedoms Americans enjoy. For centuries, fresh evergreens have been used as a symbol of honor and have served as a living tribute renewed annually. Wreaths Across America believes the tradition represents a living memorial that honors veterans, active duty military and their families.
This year’s 30-minute ceremony will include remarks by Lt. Gen. Jim Slife, commander of the U.S. Air Force’s Special Operations Command and the unveiling of wreaths for each individual branch of service, including wreaths for POW/MIAs and Gold Star Families.
Dennis Krebs by phone at 850-855-3357 or by email at DNomadChief@aol.com.
For $15, you can sponsor a wreath by visiting wreathsacrossamerica.org. To volunteer, call 850-855-3357 or email DNomadChief@aol.com.
