Wreaths Across America places 1.2 million wreaths at 1,228 cemeteries across the country

Twenty-five years ago this December, 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, and launch an effort known as “Wreaths Across America”.

What started as 5,000 wreaths at Arlington has this year grown to 1.2 million 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 the mission to Remember, Honor and Teach.

Volunteers were asked to take their time when placing wreaths and read the headstone to honor the memory of that veteran and to say the veteran’s name out loud. Karen Worcester, executive director of Wreaths Across America, stated, “We are not here to decorate graves. We’re here to remember and honor not their deaths, but their lives.”

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.

Volunteers say they were awe-struck by the event at Arlington National Cemetery. No words can even describe. When the volunteer work was all done, the scene left behind is breathtaking: a sea of beautiful balsam wreaths with red bows at Christmastime. 

Locally, over 2,400 wreaths were placed at Bath National Cemetery and 1,800 at Woodlawn National Cemetery. Volunteers left saying each veteran should have a remembrance wreath.

Owego, Tioga, and Northern Bradford and Susquehanna Counties and the Valley communities of Waverly, South Waverly and Sayre marked their 10th anniversary by placing a wreath at the entrance to a cemetery and at as many veteran graves as possible. Also remembered were prisoners of war, the missing in action and the estimated 5,000 local deceased veterans. 

The Veterans of Modern Warfare of Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan, for the second year in a row, placed five wreaths – for each branch of the service – at Maple Grove Cemetery visible to Route 96 traffic through Candor.

Snow and cold weather didn’t stop the brief wreath laying and remembrance ceremony last Saturday at noon at the Tioga County Veterans Memorial. The Color Guard of the Glenn A. Warner Post 1371, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Officer of the Day Walt Beardsley, and Honor Guards Dean Morgan and Lawrence Osorio posted the colors.

For the 10th year in a row, Pastor G. Terry Steenburg, now of the Central Baptist Church of Greene, delivered the invocation and benediction and blessed the evergreen wreaths remembering Tioga County’s 172 Fallen Heroes of WWI, WWII (including those buried overseas), Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, and the 500 lost in the Civil War and all those who served in all wars. 

Karen Messersmith, new president of the Union Veterans of the Civil War, also remembered the fathers of the American Revolutionary War and requested volunteers to research Tioga County’s role in the 1775 to 1783 war.

Deputy Newark Valley Historian Jerry Marsh, Vietnam War Veteran serving as a Vietnamese linguist and a U.S. Air Force Special Agent and Communications Officer, has published a book, titled, “The Brotherhood of Battle, profiling the Civil War soldiers of Newark Valley. Jerry would have given an update but he was unable to attend because snow drifted in his Newark Valley hillside driveway. 

Iraq War Gold Star Mother Mrs. Barbara Bilbrey recalled the first time she laid a wreath at the grave of her Fallen Hero son, Army Specialist Charles Bilbrey Jr. who was killed in Iraq. It was a cold and snowy day in St. Patrick’s Cemetery. For a special tribute, a reporter asked and received permission, without hesitation, to videotape and record the Gold Star Mother as she knelt by the headstone and talked to her son about Christmas. The Fallen Hero’s younger brother, Patrick Bilbrey, home from college, bowed his head while his mom talked and then gave his personal reflections. 

The new chaplain of the Veterans of Modern War, Norm Reeder, Religious Leader of Gospel Chapel; and Commander Ken Gillette of Tioga Post 401 American Legion listened attentively as did others to the Bilbrey memorial tributes.

Your action for a summary wrap-up is to send reports of what you, your organization, school or business, church or youth group did for the local 2016 Wreaths Across America program. What’s more, your thoughtful recommendations for next year such as adopting a cemetery with a wreath at its entrance and placement of as many wreaths as possible on veteran graves. Email to Glenn A. Warner Post 1371, Veterans of Foreign Wars Memorial Day Chairman Jim Raftis at jraftis2@stny.rr.com.