If you’re looking for a way to honor veterans at Christmas, you may want to consider sponsoring a wreath or making a donation to Wreaths Across America or Wreaths Across Blanco.
Candy Cargill, coordinators of Wreaths Across Blanco, told the Blanco County News, “We’re on a mission to remember, honor, and teach. Please join us by sponsoring a wreath to be placed in honor of a veteran this Dec. 14, 2019 on National Wreaths Across America Day, at the Blanco Historic Cemetery, St. Mary’s, Mt. Horeb, Twin Sisters, McKinney Loop, and hopefully more. We’ll ensure that our veterans’ sacrifice is remembered yet again and passed on to a new generation of Americans. We are trying for at least 600 wreaths this year, and your help is needed. Volunteers are also needed and appreciated!”
Origin of Wreaths Across America
According to Wreaths Across America, “Wreaths Across America is a national nonprofit organization founded in 2007 to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery begun by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester in 1992.”
Worcester owned a wreath company in Maine. He had visited Arlington National Cemetery as a 12 year old boy, and the visit left a lasting impression on him. One year Morrill’s company had some leftover wreaths, and Morrill decided to place those wreaths at Arlington with the help of friends.
The following year the group again placed wreaths at Arlington, and someone from another cemetery contacted Morrill about honoring those veterans. Wreaths Across America was born, and as it grew Morrill could no longer subsidize it himself. Individuals now purchase wreaths to be placed in honor of veterans at any participating cemetery, and the collaborative effort sponsors wreaths for veterans on a large scale.
As their reach has grown, Wreaths Across America has expanded overseas with placement of veterans’ wreaths at Normandy – American Cemetery in France. Last year almost 1.8 million veterans’ wreaths were placed at 1,640 participating locations with over two million volunteers. Cargill told the Blanco County News, “All costs of placing the wreaths are donated, including the costs to trucking companies to ship the wreaths. UPS donates their labor as well.”
Wreaths Across America strives to Remember veterans through special recognitions and ceremonies; Honor veterans through programs that promote public outreach and thank them for their service and helps with fundraising for other nonprofits and a liaison to work with local veterans’ organizations; and Teaches younger generations of the value of freedom and the need to honor who have sacrificed to protect freedom. The tradition of live wreaths is a living memorial to honor veterans and their families.
Wreaths Across America in Blanco
“One morning in 2015 I saw something on the news about Wreaths Across America. I contacted veteran John Wood and asked him what he thought. John agreed that we could place the seven ceremonial wreaths,” Cargill said. “After completing the proper applications, Blanco Historic Cemetery was all set to receive the seven wreaths.”
Cargill added, “Shortly before the seven wreaths were to be shipped I looked at our site and saw that we had 110 wreaths. We were amazed to see that two donors had anonymously purchased 110 wreaths, and so we had 110 wreaths to place in addition to the seven ceremonial wreaths.”
“To this day I do not know who those ‘angels’ were who purchased those wreaths. We had a grand ceremony the next year, and each year our ceremony is taken from the scripted ceremony that is used by Wreaths Across America.”
Corporate sponsors include: K&C Supply, Old 300 BBQ, Ethridge Construction, Guardian Title, Additional Storage, Dr. Ken Schramm and Hill Country Real Estate. The Wreaths Across American program represents veterans from Army, Navy, Air Force, Merchant Marines, Coast Guard and POW/MIA.
All orders and payments for wreaths must be received by Dec. 2. Wreaths to be placed in Blanco County may be ordered and paid by check to: Wreaths Across America –TXBHCB, P.O. Box 249, Columbia Falls, ME 04623.
Sponsors may also purchase wreaths for Arlington National Cemetery or any other participating cemetery at: www.wreathsacrossamerica.org The website provides additional information about the program as well.
“It’s so rewarding to hear people say how much our program means to them,” Cargill said. “The Cub Scouts have volunteered to help us place wreaths for our ceremony on Dec. 14, and the theme for 2019 is ‘Everyone Plays a Part.’
“I tear up just thinking of this…the belief of Wreaths Across America is that a veteran dies twice. The first is the day they take their final breath, and the second is the day their name is no longer spoken. At our ceremony we place the wreaths and say the veteran’s name so they are not forgotten. Because the cemetery is so old this may be the only time the graves are visited during the whole year. The Cemetery Association, along with volunteers, also places flags for our veterans in the cemetery. There are many facets to the recognition of our veterans, and these all integrate together.”
Veterans have been buried in the cemetery for well over a century.
Cargill added, “We have veterans buried here from the Civil War who represented both the Confederacy and the Union. We recognize both because Wreaths Across America recognizes all veterans.”
Future Plans
Cargill hopes to see more corporate and individual sponsorships, “so that we can continue to recognize our veterans. We want all our veterans to be commemorated for their selfless and heroic service to our country.”
