Volunteers to Place Wreaths on Veteran’s Graves
RIVERSIDE (CNS) – Civil Air Patrol cadets, joined by current and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces, volunteers from nonprofit organizations and families throughout Riverside County, will fan out across Riverside National Cemetery on Saturday to place Christmas wreaths at graves in an annual salute to the fallen.
The cemetery walk will coincide with nearly 4,700 similar deployments nationwide in recognition of “National Wreaths Across America Day,” in which the Civil Air Patrol, also known as the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary, takes a leading role.
“National Wreaths Across America Day is an event held every December in which millions of volunteers unite to place sponsored veterans’ wreaths at the final resting place of millions of service members in thousands of participating locations across the U.S. and abroad,” according to the nonprofit Wreaths Across America. “These wreaths are delivered through the generosity of hundreds of volunteer truck drivers and their companies and are sponsored by individuals and businesses.”
CAP Squadron 45, based at March Air Reserve Base and composed of cadets ages 12 to 19 years old, has spearheaded the Wreaths Across America campaign for Riverside National Cemetery over more than a decade.
WAA began, informally, in 1992, when the owners of the Harrington, Maine-based Worcester Wreath Co. wanted to do something positive with their surplus holiday wreaths, offering them to Arlington National Cemetery for graveside placements.
The gesture turned into a yearly tradition, eventually expanding to multiple states, where members of American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts became involved, placing wreaths.
In 2006, the ceremonies were formalized and scheduled for specific days in December, according to wreathsacrossamerica.org.
“Our mission to `Remember, Honor and Teach’ is carried out throughout the year,” according to wreathsacrossamerica.org. “Wreaths Across America’s mission touches the lives of thousands of school, scout, civic and religious groups across the country.”
CAP officials said some of the wreaths are sponsored, often by relatives of individuals laid to rest at Riverside National Cemetery, and those garlands are taken to specific plots. Otherwise, volunteers try to canvass different segments of the cemetery, where wreaths are placed in orderly arrangements.
Reaching the nearly 250,000 graves at the cemetery has never been possible, so volunteers focus on certain spaces.
Flag walks at the cemetery in honor of Memorial Day and Veterans Day involve CAP cadets, Boy Scouts, police Explorers and other groups, who generally are able to erect miniature American flags at every grave.
Unlike the wreaths, which are heavier, more expensive and have to be carefully preserved for one-time use, the flags are compact, cost less than a dollar apiece and can be reused.
Squadron 45 and other nonprofit entities seek donations year-round to support the WAA cause.
Before the deployment begins Saturday, there will be a formal ceremony at the cemetery Amphitheater highlighting the meaning of the occasion.
More information is available at https://ca007.cap.gov.
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