A three-decade tradition will continue this weekend when Americans coast to coast will gather to “remember our fallen U.S. veterans, honor those who serve, and teach children the value of freedom” through the placing of wreaths on veterans’ graves.
Saturday, Dec. 14, marks the 28th National Wreaths Across America Day. More than 1 million remembrance wreaths will be laid on the graves of America’s fallen veterans throughout the country and overseas as part of National Wreaths Across America Day.
American Legion Family members again are going to be leading events across the country, including those in Wisconsin who have placed tens of thousands of wreaths over the years. A year ago, members of the Department of Wisconsin Legion Family were able to raise the funds to place 7,274 wreaths at the Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery in King – one for every gravesite.
The effort, spearheaded by the Wisconsin District 8 American Legion Riders, again will result in a wreath being placed on all 7,400 gravesites at King Cemetery on Dec. 14. Evelyn McSherry – who has led the effort with her husband Ray – said this year’s effort came “down to the wire.”
A Legion Rider and member of Auxiliary Unit 153, Evelyn has been involved with Wreaths Across America for nearly a decade. She said she and Ray, a past two-term state ALR director and a member of Palmer-Ritchie-Thomas Post 153 in Pittsville, are looking for someone to mentor to eventually take over the program, but “will not do that until we are sure it will continue.”
Further east, Robert I. Nickerson Post 382 in Squantum, Mass., will be placing more than 7,400 wreaths at several cemeteries in the area, including more than 3,300 at Mount Wollaston Cemetery in Quincy. Ceremonies will take place at both Mount Wollaston and Pine Hill Cemetery; prior to that, wreaths will be placed at five smaller cemeteries in the area. Some of the veterans graves date back to the Revolutionary War, including Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams.
Post 382 members have been participating in Wreaths Across America for 10 years, first at Arlington National Cemetery and then at Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne before moving to local cemeteries.
And in Elmira, N.Y., Post 443 members work with other local nonprofits and businesses to place wreaths at more than 6,000 veterans graves at Woodlawn National Cemetery. In August, the post held a motorcycle rally to raise funds for the wreaths.
The following are a few more examples of American Legion Family members who will be involved with Wreaths Across America events this weekend. American Legion posts and Legion Family members participating in this annual program are encouraged to share their wreath-laying stories on the Legion’s web page www.legiontown.org.
To find a Wreaths Across America event in your area, click here. For all social media postings, use the hashtag #WAA2019.