Wanted: A Christmas Wreath on every veteran grave

Santa Claus visits every home in Tioga and Northern Bradford and Susquehanna Counties on Christmas Eve. You’re invited to become a “Christmas Wreath Santa Clause” by laying a wreath on the grave of a veteran on or before Saturday, Dec. 17, National Wreaths Across America Day. 

Once you hear about the mission of the program – Remember the fallen, Honor those who serve and Teach our children the commitment and sacrifice they made to protect our freedoms – you will want to become involved. You donate the wreath. You go to your preferred cemetery for wreath placement on a veteran grave and say their names out loud this year and thank them for their service and your sacrifice.

From 1992 to 2006 the annual tradition of placing wreaths to honor the fallen was conducted at Arlington National Cemetery, largely unknown by the general public except for visitors to those hallowed grounds. 

But an Air Force photographer took a picture of the wreaths in the snow in front of headstones in Arlington and posted it on the Internet. Wreaths Across America then became a national volunteer program. Last year thousands of wreaths were placed to remember our veterans at 1,000 locations nationwide and 24 off shore cemeteries and ships in the Seven Seas.  

For 2016 the goal is to make it personal by reaching out to local communities like Tioga and Northern Bradford and Susquehanna Counties to place wreaths on the graves of all veterans. That’s why it’ll require each family to take the initiative to honor our veterans at Christmas time. 

Gold Star Mothers and Families will place wreaths on the headstones of their fallen hero sons. Families are asked to place wreaths on the grave of their loved veteran. All community organizations are asked to take a leadership role to place wreaths on veteran graves. Churches are asked to commit to one wreath at the entrance to a cemetery of their choosing. Church pastors are requested to have a brief wreath service as part of their Sunday, Dec. 4 and Sunday, Dec. 11 worship.  

Veterans will place wreaths at veteran memorials in Owego, Nichols, Candor, Spencer Van Etten, Waverly, and The Valley with Friends of Waverly Cemetery Preservation and village, town and county officials. 

Veterans represent the VFW and American Legion and their Post Auxiliaries, Vietnam Veterans of America, Tioga County Marine Corps League, Veterans of Modern Warfare of Iraq and Afghanistan and Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War.   

People living in different states who have veterans buried here may want to participate. For those families it will be necessary to send money for a wreath and the exact location in the cemetery for wreath placement, weather permitting. 

Visit www.wreathacrossamerica.org to learn about the 25-year-old program and its 2016 theme, “Say Their Names Out Loud This Year on National Wreaths Across America Day. Come with a mission, leave with a memory.” 

For local information, contact Owego Veterans of Foreign Wars Glenn A. Warner Post 1371 Memorial Day Chairman Jim Raftis by email to jraftis2@stny.rr.com.