(1)
The early morning sun illuminates Section 31 of Arlington National Cemetery before to national Wreaths Across America ceremonies Saturday. A wreath-laden tractor-trailer parked in the background tells the significance of the event, held each year at Arlington. In all, 16,000 wreaths were placed on the white marble gravestones at Arlington, while another 145,000 were put on veterans' gravestones at more than 400 state and national cemeteries across America.
Photo by Lt. Col. Wendy White, Virginia Wing
(2)
CAP National Commander Maj. Gen. Amy S. Courter shakes hands with cadets following a wreath-laying ceremony at the Civil Air Patrol Memorial at Arlington. Courter personally thanked each cadets for attending and showing their dedication to Wreaths Across America.
Photo by Lt. Col. Loucendy Ball, Idaho Wing
(3)
Cadet Capt. Esther Rea (right) joins CAP National Commander Maj. Gen. Amy S. Courter (center) and CAP National Vice Commander Brig. Gen. Reggie Chitwood (second from left) for the national wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington.
Photo by Lt. Col. Wendy White, Virginia Wing
(4)
Col. Mary Feik (left) visits with CAP National Commander Maj. Gen. Amy S. Courter at the Women In Military Service For America Memorial at Arlington. There they reflected on the women – both past and present – who have and are going above and beyond in service for their country. Earlier, Feik and CAP National Vice Commander Reggie Chitwood placed a wreath at the Shuttle Memorial in honor of the women – and men – who have served and died as a part of America's space program.
Photo by Lt. Col. Loucendy Ball, Idaho Wing
(5)
More than 7,500 civilian volunteers showed up early Saturday to place 16,000 wreaths on the white marble gravestones at Arlington. At least 200 of the volunteers were cadets and senior members. Thousands more participated in the more than 400 ceremonies held at state and national cemeteries and memorials across America.
Photo by Lt. Col. Wendy White, Virginia Wing
(6)
Lt. Col Jett Mayhew holds the coats of four Marines from Camp Lejeune, N.C. – (from left) Pfcs. Ryan Wilson and Kevin Mincey, Pvt. Gregory Bell and Pfc. Justin Movan – as they joined CAP cadets placing wreaths at Arlington. The Marines were among the more than 7,500 people on hand for the national Wreaths Across America ceremony.
Photo by Lt. Col. Loucendy Ball, Idaho Wing
(7)
In the largest Wreaths Across America observance of the year, CAP members helped place 22,000 wreaths at Houston National Cemetery in Texas. The wreath-laying was the largest such ceremony in the country, nearly double the size of other notable events around the country.
Photo by 1st Lt. David McCollum, Texas Wing
(8)
(From left) Maj. Bob Beeley of the Texas Wing's Delta Composite Squadron, Capts. Dan Katen of Group IV Headquarters and Chayla Ragulsky of the Delta squadron, and Lt. Col. Ben Sundet of wing headquarters take part in the wreath-laying observance at Houston National Cemetery. The four were among thousands of volunteers who braved a steady drizzle and chilly weather to place 22,000 wreaths on the gravestones of the cemetery.
Photo by 1st. Lt. David McCollum. Texas Wing
(9)
Cadet Lt. Col. Jeffrey VerHoeven of the Arkansas Wing's 115th Composite Squdaron assists Army Staff Sgt. Felix Bermudez in laying a wreath during the fourth annual Wreaths Across America ceremony Saturday in Fayetteville. More than 1,100 people attended the ceremon at Fayetteville National Cemetery. Afterward, 6,700 wreaths purchased by the Wal-Mart Foundation were placed on the graves of U.S. veterans buried there.
Photo by 1st Lt. Jon D. VerHoeven, Arkansas Wing
(10)
Cadet Staff Sgt. Cassia Brown of CAP’s Pueblo Eagles Composite Squadron lays a wreath in honor of fallen Coast Guard members during Wreaths Across America ceremonies held at Fort Lyon National Cemetery in Las Animas, Colo.
Photo by 2nd Lt. Shad L. Brown, Colorado Wing
(11)
Six cadets from the Colorado Wing's Pueblo Eagles Composite Squadron -- (from left) Cadet Staff Sgt. Christa Bissonnette; Cadet Airmen Basic Tadeusz Nitka, Matthew Nitka and Samuel Nitka; Cadet Staff Sgt. Cassia Brown; and Cadet Tech Sgt. Haelie Compton -- observe a moment of silence at Fort Lyon.
Photo by 2nd Lt. Shad L. Brown, Colorado Wing
(12)
Cadet Airman 1st Class Jessica Holmes of the Minnesota Wing’s Crow Wing Composite Squadron waits for the Wreaths Across America ceremony to begin at the State Veterans’ Cemetery near Camp Ripley. Members of the Crow Wing and St. Cloud composite squadrons combined efforts to distribute more than 300 wreaths, which were placed on the snow-covered graves.
Photo by Maj. Richard Sprouse, Minnesota Wing
(13)
A color guard of North Carolina Wing cadets marches to the All Wars Monument at North Carolina's Salisbury National Cemetery. In all, 15 cadets and eight senior members participated in the annual event, which featured comments from retired U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Gary H. Wilfong.
Photo by 1st Lt. Jim Fitzpatrick, North Carolina Wing
(14)
Maj. Cathy Neubaur, deputy commander of cadets for the California Wing’s March Field Composite Squadron 45, speaks at the Wreaths Across America Ceremony at Riverside National Cemetery.
Photo by 1st Lt. Ken Benner, California Wing
(15)
A group of cadets from California Wing’s March Field Composite Squadron 45 and Brackett Composite Squadron 64 huddles in the driving rain to listen to a presentation from retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Alan Baumann. The Vietnam veteran and Army Ranger talked about education and understanding how Americans get their freedoms.
Photo by 1st Lt. Ken Benner, California Wing
(16)
Braving the frigid weather, members of the Wisconsin Wing’s Stevens Point Composite Squadron present the colors during the Wreaths Across America ceremony at the Korean War Memorial in Plover.
Photo by 1st Lt. Terese Barta, Wisconsin Wing
(17)
The Stevens Point Composite Squadron cadet commander, Cadet Capt. Steven Lang, and other cadets and senior members prepare to lay wreaths at the Korean War Memorial in Plover as the unit's cCommander, Maj. Virginia Suarion (left) looks on.
Photo by 1st Lt. Terese Barta, Wisconsin Wing
(18)
IFrom left) Cadet Airman Seth McMahon, Cadet Airman 1st Class Joseph Raff, Cadet Airmen Jared Koszyk and Tyler Fitzgerald, Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Meleik Lewishall and Cadet Senior Master Sgt. Joshua Millings, all of the New York Wing's Suffolk Cadet Squadron 10, lay wreaths in Section 3 of Calverton National Cemetery. More than 1,500 wreaths were placed on the gravesites at Calverton.
Photo by 2nd Lt. Rob Calviello, New York Wing
(19)
Cadet 2nd Lt. Matt Frame of the Minnesota Wing’s Anoka Composite Squadron assists a U.S. veteran during wreath-laying ceremony at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. Hundreds attended the Wreaths Across America observance, including U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau and Army Staff Sgt. John Kriesel, who lost both legs while serving overseas. More than 1,000 wreaths were placed on the gravestones at Fort Snelling.
Photo by 1st Lt. George Supan, Minnesota Wing
(20)
Cadets from the Alaska Wing’s Birchwood Composite Squadron work in heavy fog to lay wreaths at Fort Richardson National Cemetery. The cadets, joined by members of Junior ROTC, braved a low temperature of 4 degrees and a thick 2-inch frost to put out more than 500 wreaths. Despite the cold, the cadets stopped at each grave and took a moment to salute every fallen soldier.
Photo by 1st Lt. Rob Speer, Alaska Wing
(21)
Members of a U.S. military veterans’ motorcycle club participate in a symbolic wreath-laying for veterans missing in action. The Wreaths Across America observance at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell was supported by several Florida Wing units, including the Citrus County and Hernando County composite squadrons and the Gen. Chuck Yeager, Osceola and the West Citrus cadet squadrons.
Photo by 2nd Lt. Ernest Lee, Florida Wing
(22)
(From left) Cadet Tech. Sgt. Christina Richardson, Cadet Airman Taylor Barton, Cadet Senior Airman Samuel Rogers and Cadet Airman 1st Class Bethany Ditto, all members of the Texas Wing’s Lackland Cadet Squadron, present the colors at the Wreaths Across America ceremony at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio. After the ceremony, nearly 900 wreaths were placed on veterans’ graves.
Photo by 2nd Lt. Nancy Kerr, Texas Wing
(23)
Judy Carlile, the event coordinator at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, is joined by her children at the gravesite of her late husband. The family placed a wreath on the grave after a Wreaths Across America ceremony at the cemetery.
Photo by 2nd Lt. Nancy Kerr, Texas Wing
(24)
Maj. Gen. Amy S. Courter (second from left), CAP national commander, and Brig. Gen. Reggie Chitwood (left), national vice commander, share a moment while talking about old times with a man dressed as George Washington, one of the 7,500 people on hand for the Wreaths Across America ceremonies at Arlington. The man stated in jest, "It was much easier crossing the Delaware River this time. They built a bridge!"
Photo by Lt. Col. Loucendy Ball, Idaho Wing
(25)
CAP honor guard cadets salute as one of the tractor-trailers from the Wreaths Across America convoy drives by. The rigs delivered 16,000 wreaths to Arlington for this year’s ceremonies.
Photo by Lt. Col. Wendy White, Virginia Wing
Steve Cox
Public Affairs Manager
CAP National Headquarters
VIRGINIA -- As is customary during each holiday season, thousands of bright white marble gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery were adorned with red-ribbond balsam fir remembrance wreaths Dec. 12, courtesy of Wreaths Across America.
“Our mission is to remember the fallen, honor those who serve and teach our children the value of freedom,” said Karen Worcester, executive director of Wreaths Across America.
More than 100,000 wreaths have been placed on Arlington gravestones since the project began 17 years ago. This year, the Worcesters, the USO, Wal-Mart and other corporate sponsors donated 16,000 wreaths for the Arlington ceremonies. Started as the Arlington National Cemetery Wreath Project in 1992 before becoming Wreaths Across America four years ago, the initiative is now a tradition for Worcester and her husband, Morrill, owners of Worcester Wreath Co. and co-founders of Wreaths Across America.
Elsewhere Saturday, another 145,000 wreaths were placed after simultaneous Wreaths Across America ceremonies at 405 state and national cemeteries and memorials nationwide and 24 other cemeteries and memorials on foreign soil.
“Wreaths Across America has truly become a national phenomenon,” said the initiative’s national spokesman, Tobin Slaven.
Partners like Civil Air Patrol, the Patriot Guard Riders, the Maine State Society of Washington, D.C., and other veterans’ groups that participate are “a driving force behind the growth,” Slaven said, “not to mention the tens of thousands of private citizens who sponsor wreaths for ceremonies at Arlington and the hundreds of other ceremonies across America each year.”
Participating in Wreaths Across America has also become a holiday tradition for CAP's 58,000 members. “Laying the wreaths is an honor to our veterans, a service to our communities and a learning experience for our members,” said CAP's national commander, Maj. Gen. Amy S. Courter.
Civil Air Patrol squadrons led almost half of the more than 425 Wreaths Across America observances this year and participated with other color and honor guards at many additional locations. CAP cadets and officers placed many of the wreaths at Arlington as well.
The Wreaths Across America ceremonies on the hallowed grounds of Arlington began early, as usual, as a CAP honor guard assembled at the cemetery’s entrance at 5:30 a.m. At 7:15 a.m., the honor guard cadets welcomed a convoy of tractor-trailers from Worcester Wreath escorted by motorcyclists from the Patriot Guard Riders.
After the convoy arrived, the ceremonies at Arlington commenced, starting with a wreath-laying at 8 a.m. at the Civil Air Patrol Memorial. Courter, accompanied by the honor guard, placed a wreath at the memorial, which honors the memory of the hundreds of thousands of CAP volunteers who have served as members of the U.S. Air Force auxiliary.
At 8:30 a.m., Courter joined the Worcesters and other dignitaries from CAP, the Patriot Guard Riders, the Maine State Society, the Gold Star Mothers, the American Legion and other groups for a national Wreaths Across America ceremony and moment of remembrance at the McClellan Arch near the entrance of Arlington.
By 9 a.m., Wreaths Across America volunteers began placing wreaths in Sections 2, 9, 31, 32 and 37 of the cemetery while USO volunteers placed another 1,000 wreaths in Section 60. At the same time, participants around the nation held similar events, marking veterans’ gravesites and monuments with the remembrance wreaths.
Before the day was over, other wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington were held at the Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial in Section 46 and at the Tomb of the Unknowns near the center of the cemetery.
The Arlington observances concluded at 1 p.m. with the CAP honor guard and Courter laying a wreath at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial. Afterward, Courter hosted a distinguished visitors’ reception in the memorial's Hall of Honor.
A video of the day's events at Arlington, posted by the National Capital Wing's director of public affairs, Maj. Paul Cianciolo, can be viewed online (scroll down to "Video from Arlington").
