Wreaths Across America

Saturday, December 14, marks Wreaths Across America Day 2013.  Local organizations dedicated to honoring veterans gather at veterans' burial sites to place wreaths at their graves.  The wreaths are paid for solely by donations from individuals and businesses.

I thought of this project almost by chance one morning about a month ago.  I went online to find out more, and eventually sent in a form to have a wreath ordered for my grandpa.  He served in World War II in the Pacific Theater, and now lies in rest at the Department of Veterans' Affairs Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, near Elwood, IL, just south of Joliet.

My parents and I joined hundreds of others gathered to place wreaths there that day.  After a brief ceremony at 11 AM (see picture above), with military honors, everyone scattered to the various sections of the cemetery to pick up the wreaths for placing.  With the form in hand for my grandpa's wreath, we got one of the wreaths and then walked through the rows of headstones to place it at his.

It was a small gesture, laying a simple wreath at the grave of my grandpa with Mom (see picture above), but spoke volumes in its meaning, for someone we love, for someone who had taken up this noble service in his lifetime.  Having served our country in life, we now honor them in their eternal rest, that we may continually remember what they did in sacrificing for us.  I was so glad to have taken part in this project, which is such a touching tribute to our veterans, whom I'm sure we all desire to honor.  Even Mom kept saying over and over how wonderful a project she thought this is. 

The cemetery looked so beautifully with wreaths adorning many of the graves as we drove around to exit.  It was great to see so many come out to help place the wreaths, as a sign of our love and gratitude for those who have served this country.

Wreaths Across America is making it its goal to lay a wreath at every veterans' gravesite.  At the Lincoln cemetery alone, there are between 30000 and 40000 graves, and they usually have enough to cover, on avergae, a few thousand each year.  They accept donations year round for the laying of wreaths on a select Saturday in December.  To learn more about this project, and how you can help reach this goal, please visit their website: https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/

God Bless you Grandpa Martin, and all our veterans in their rest.

(Thanks to Mom for getting all but one of the above pictures with her phone's camera.  Thanks to Dad for getting the picture of Mom and I laying the wreath, and for getting us all down there in the midst of some snowy conditions.)